The Last Battle Retold
by ninja-curry-girl
Summary: What if C. S. Lewis didn't write the Last Battle? What if I wrote it instead? *dramatic music plays in the background* R&R, please!
1. By Caldron Pool

CHAPTER 1: _By Caldron Pool_

"What's that?"

The Donkey looked to where the Ape was pointing and saw something large and yellow floating just below the waterfall. "I don't know, Shift," he said.

"Go and get it for me. I need to see what it is."

"Alright, Shift."

The Donkey stood at the rocky shore of the waterfall and stared at the merciless, foamy water, and shivered. He looked about him for a safe place to step in, a place where the waves didn't splash against the jutting rocks.

"Hurry up, Puzzle!" Shift shouted out, "It's starting to get cold here!"

You're telling me, Puzzle thought, and jumped into the ruthless waters of Caldron Pool. He was met with a rush of water and foam, and he couldn't see a thing. He struggled to swim back to the surface. When he did manage to stick his head out of water, he was struck by the force of the waterfall itself, plunging down on him. It pushed him back underwater, so deep down that he could barely breathe. He swam towards what he thought was safety, and swam up to the water's surface again. He spotted the yellow object afloat nearby, and swam towards it. He barely managed to catch hold of it with his teeth, and swam back to Shift, numb with cold.

"It looks like some kind of rug," Puzzle said, after he tossed it on the ground.

"It's not a rug, you ass," Shift picked it up, "It's a lion's skin." As he spread the skin out onto the grass, he started to think of an ugly plan, a plan even uglier than his own features.

"Puzzle," he said slyly, "You've been my friend for a long time, and you've done so much for me. How about I make it up to you by making you a nice warm winter coat."

"Out of what?"

"What do you think? This lion-skin, obviously."

"I don't think that's right."

Shift's temper was starting to run thin. "What are you talking about?"

"Wouldn't it be disrespectful to the Great Lion?" Puzzle lowered his voice into a whisper, "To Aslan?"

Shift nearly rolled his eyes. "How could it be disrespectful? I am doing a good deed for my best friend. I'm sure Aslan would be honoured that I am using a skin of his kind for such a noble deed."

Puzzle found this very convincing. "Of course, you're right, Shift."

"As always. Now why don't you go to Chippingford and get some oranges and bananas from the market.

"Alright, Shift."

Once the Donkey was out of sight, Shift went home to his tree and made some modifications to the lion-skin. Even though the lion whom the skin belonged to was unusually small, the body was still to big for someone of Puzzle's proportions, and the neck was too small. He adjusted the skin so that it would fit Puzzle, and also make Puzzle look like a lion of looked at from a certain distance away in the moonlight.

When Puzzle came back from his trip to Chippingford, he was exhausted and cold, and the only thing he wanted to do just then was fall down onto the grass and sleep.

"Where's the food?" Shift asked him.

"There was no food," Puzzle muttered, "No oranges, no bananas. It wasn't even market day. Now let me sleep."

"You can't sleep now! You have to try on the coat I made you."

"Now?"

"Yes, Puzzle. Now."

"Alright, Shift."

After a lot of pulling, pushing, and Shift shouting "Stand still!", they finally got Puzzle into the coat. Shift tied the legs and tail onto Puzzle's legs and tail.

"Amazing! You look just like a real lion!" Shift lied.

"Really?"

"Really! In fact, you could even pass for Aslan himself!"

"I would never do that."

"But think of all the things you could do! Everyone would do anything you tell them."

"I don't want to tell them anything."

"But with my brains, and your lion-skin, we could do so much good together. We could make everything right in Narnia!"

"Isn't everything right already?"

"How could everything be right when there is no food? You saw it yourself. We could make market day everyday!"

"Would there be sugar?"

"Of course."

Again, Puzzle found this very convincing. "Alright, Shift. I'll do it. But I still think it's wrong. What if the Great Lion sees us like this?"

"I told you before, he'd be very happy with us. And anyway, he won't see us like this. Nobody's seen him in centuries, and nobody will."

At that exact moment, a deafening clap of thunder roared overhead, and the earth trembled so much that both Shift and Puzzle fell flat on their faces.

"I knew it!" Puzzle exclaimed as soon as he got up and regained his balance, "That was a sign from the Great Lion! We're doing something awful!"

"No!" Shift shook Puzzle hard, "It's a sign the other way. Aslan definitely wants us to keep going with this. After all, what could an ass know about signs?"

Puzzle thought about this. Yet again, he found Shift's arguments very convincing.

"Alright, Shift," he finally said.


	2. The Rashness of the King

CHAPTER 2: _The Rashness of the King_

The last King of Narnia sat under a great oak which grew beside his hunting lodge in the Eastern End of the Lantern Waste. The building was low and shabby, and didn't seem like the type of hut that was fit for a King. But nonetheless, he loved to live there, away from the state and pomp of Cair Paravel. King Tirian was was around 21 years of age, and his shoulders were already broad and his arms were full of hard-earned muscle from his many hunting excursions. He had blue eyes, dark hair, and a fearless, honest face.

The only person with him that morning was his best friend, Jewel the Unicorn. Jewel and Tirian were so close, they were almost like brothers, having saved each others lives on many occasions.

"Is it really true?" Tirian asked, "Could Aslan really have returned?"

"It's wonderful news, if it's actually true. As soon as the Calormene merchant came to give us the news, I started to get suspicious. Why would a Calormene care whether Aslan is back or not? They have their own God."

"But the birds? And the squirrels and the badger? And what about the Stag? Why would he lie to the King?"

"I really don't know, Tirian. But it all seems too good to be true."

Tirian sighed. Jewel had a point. Why would Aslan have chosen now to come back? Why not earlier or later? Why couldn't he have helped them in the wars?

"Listen!" Jewel interrupted. Tirian listened, and heard the unquestionable sound of hooves coming towards them. Soon enough, a large centaur appeared before them.

"Hail King," he huffed.

"Roonwit," Tirian stood up, "Have you brought us more news of Aslan?"

Roonwit frowned. "Sire," he said slowly, pausing to catch his breath, "As you already know, it is our job to watch and study the stars, and never in all my days have I seen such terrible things written in the skies as there have been nightly since the year has begun. The stars say nothing of the coming of Aslan, or of peace or joy. The skies haven't predicted something this disastrous in the past five hundred years."

"So Aslan isn't back?"

"No. If Aslan was really coming, the sky would have foretold it. And the sky never lies."

"Who would lie to the King of Narnia about something like this?" And on instinct, Tirian put his hand on his sword hilt.

"I know not, Lord King, but I do know that men and beasts are more than capable of lying."

"The stars may not have lied, but they could have been wrong," Jewel said thoughtfully, "After all, Aslan is not a Tame Lion."

Roonwit was about to say something, but someone beat him to it.

"My Lord."

Standing behind Roonwit was a woman, but she was so tall that her head was level with the Centaur's. She had a long flowing dress made of leaves, and long green hair.

"Yes, Dryad?" asked Tirian.

"They are felling us in Lantern Waste. Forty of my brothers and sisters are already on the ground, and many more are dying as I speak."

"Felling Lantern Waste? Murdering the talking trees? Who's doing this? And by who's permission?"

"My Lord, they say – a-a-ahh -" she gasped, and vanished into thin air. The Dryad was dead.

Tirian stared silently at the spot where the Dryad was standing. "I won't leave a single person alive," he said finally.

"What?" asked Jewel.

"I'm going to Lantern Waste. I will find the people who are slaughtering the talking trees, and kill them all."

"Isn't that a bit rash?"

"Sire," Roonwit broke in, "I know that justice must be done, but be wary. Whoever is felling those trees may have an army nearby, and you would be outnumbered. If you wait a while -"

"No. I must help my people. But if it makes you feel better, you may go to Cair Paravel and round up an army for me. Here is my ring for your token."

Roonwit bowed. "I won't let you down Your Majesty." He turned and galloped eastward towards the valley.

Tirian climbed onto Jewel's back and they rode onto towards the forests, the King's fists clenched and the Unicorn silent.

Soon they reached a river, and Jewel spotted something.

"Look!" he cried. They trotted slowly towards it, and upon closer inspection found half a dozen newly-cut tree trunks lashed together.

"It is a raft," said Tirian.

Pushing the raft towards the water was rather large water rat.

"Oi!" Tirian called out, getting off Jewel's back, "What do you think you're doing?" The rat looked up promptly. As soon as he saw the King he stopped what he was doing.

"I'm … er … t-t-taking these l-logs to sell to the C-Calormenes, you majesty," he stuttered.

"Calormenes?" thundered Tirian, "They have more than enough timber. Who gave the orders to murder the Talking Trees?"

"The Lion, sire," said the Rat, who was really scared now, "Aslan himself."

Tirian looked at Jewel, and they both knew exactly what the other was thinking. The King mounted himself onto his friend's back and they raced off towards the forests.

"Could it be true? Could Aslan be felling the Talking Trees?"

"Unless the Dryads have all done something dreadfully wrong -"

"But why sell it to the Calormenes? It makes no sense."

"I don't know. He's not a _tame_ lion."

The two galloped along in a miserable silence towards the growing sound of axes falling on timber.

As soon as the Lantern Waste came into view, the King's face turned white. Where there was once an abundance of resplendent oak and beech trees was now a wide, barren path, dotted only by the odd tree-stump and a great crowd of people at work, whipping their horses deceased. Most of there people wore the armour the Calormenes wore to battle.

"Pull, lazy brute!"

"Get on with it, you ass!"

One horse had had enough. He was already working hard enough and straining under the weight of the heavy log. He didn't need the added pressure of a whip and the insults of its wielder.

"I'm already doing all I can! Can't you see that?" he half-screamed. "Bastard," he added under his breath.

Only after they heard this did Tirian and Jewel realise that the slaving horses were Talking Horses, and this made them all the more angrier. They rushed silently towards two of Calormenes. Unseen and unheard, one was beheaded by Tirian's sword and the other was gored through the heart by Jewel's horn.


	3. The Ape in its Glory

CHAPTER THREE: _The Ape in its Glory_

Tirian rushed to the poor horse and hurriedly cut its bonds. He noticed to his horror that prints of blood were left on the horse's coat where there was once rope.

"Who did this to you? How were you enslaved by the Calormenes?" he asked him.

"Your Majesty, it was Aslan," the Horse panted, "He is here, and it is all by his orders."

"What? How could -"

"Tirian," warned Jewel, "We must go. Now." Tirian looked up and saw that some Calormenes had noticed their presence, and were moving slowly towards them with naked daggers in their hands.

"Quick! Get on my back!"

The King flung himself on the Unicorn and they turned and raced away. As soon as they were out of sight of the Calormenes and their knives, they slackened their pace.

"Where to now?" Jewel asked, "Cair Paravel?"

"No. I can't just run away from my duties to my people. We have to go back."

"But they'll kill us."

"I know. But we have to help the Horses and the Trees. We're their only hope. And if we die, then we die with honour, like a good King and knight should."

"Alright," Jewel consented, "But don't complain if my dying words are 'I told you so,'." Tirian almost smiled.

Together they galloped back to the forest both horn and sword out and gleaming, ready for battle.

They put up a good fight. They managed to defeat a good many Calormenes, but, before long, they were captured. They tied a rope around Jewel's neck, and with the same rope tied both Tirian's hands in front of him. They took his sword and his crown, and then pulled on Jewel's rope and led them away. They walked like a living train to a clearing on the peak of a small hill. At the centre of the clearing was a small, tatty stable with a thatched roof. The door was shut, and in front of the door sat an old, ugly Ape. The Ape wore an expensive scarlet robe and a paper crown on his head. Next to him was a large pile of nutshells. A large crowd of Talking Beasts formed a 10 metre radius around him, everyone looking miserable and confused.

The Calormene in charge of the train dragged Jewel and Tirian through the crowd and dropped them in front of the Ape.

"Lord Shift," he bowed, "I bring you prisoners."

"Prisoners?" asked the bored Ape.

"They created a riot in the woodland."

"Hmmm." said the Ape, pretended to be deep in thought. "Prisoners indeed. But first, I have more important things to attend to. Head Squirrel?"

A red squirrel nervously scampered up to the Ape and bowed.

"I – I mean – Aslan wants more nuts, and his supply is running low. You must go and find more by sunset tomorrow, or Aslan will be furious. Understood?"

"Indeed, my Lord," the squirrel bowed.

"And the last batch you brought wasn't nearly enough. Next time, bring twice as many."

The squirrel bowed lower. "Sire," he muttered and scurried back into the crowd.

"My Lord," a voice shouted, "Why can't we see Aslan for ourselves?"

"Yes, Sire, if he wants nuts, can't he ask for it himself?" The crowd murmured in agreement.

"Enough!" boomed the Ape. "Aslan is very kind, so he will come out for a few minutes every night, and that is all you will get. He is sick and tired of being surrounded by filthy, over-excited beasts. Anything you want to say to him gets passed on through me, if I think it's worth bothering him about. And here's another thing," he stood up on his hind paws, "I hear some of you people call me Ape. I am not an Ape. I am actually a Man. I only look like an ape because I have lived for many long centuries. It is because of my age that I am so wise, and because of my wisdom that Aslan himself chose me as his mouthpiece. He said he isn't going to bother with stupid animals this time."

Everyone grew silent, except for the cry of a baby badger.

"Also," he continued, "I have been told that many of the horses are working extra hard because they think that once they get their job over and done with, they will be free again." The Ape chuckled cruelly, "That's rubbish! From now on, and until the end of time, every single one of you is going to be put to work." The Beasts howled woefully. The Ape seemed to ignore them and kept talking, "Aslan has already made arrangements with the Tisroc of Calormen. Each Beast is going to use their hereditary talents to the Calormenes' advantage."

"So you're selling us to slavery?" a little Lamb asked.

"Slavery?" the Ape spluttered, "Of course not! You will all be paid for your hard work. Your wages will go into Aslan's treasury, and he will use it for the greater good of our country."

"But we want to be free!" the crowd started to shout.

After a few long seconds of chanting, the Ape had had enough. "Silence!" he shouted. The whole crowd immediately went mute.

"Now for the prisoners." He turned on Tirian and Jewel and looked them up and down. He pointed at the King, "I want his crown and his sword." A Calormene soldier brought out the two treasures which he had kept hidden in his coat, and placed them in front of the Ape. The Ape inspected them closely, then threw the crown back at the Calormene and hung the sword belt around his neck. "Take them away and tie them to a tree. I, er, Aslan will do justice on them later."

The last thing the King saw was the fist of a burly Calormene soldier.


	4. What Happened That Night

CHAPTER FOUR: _What Happened That Night_

The King woke up to the sound of a knife cutting through rope. He then found that he was tied to a tree, and that a young woman of about 18 years was cutting his traces away with a dagger.

"Who are you?" he asked sleepily.

"Talk later," she said shortly, "Eat first." She fed him a piece of bread that tasted so sweet, he didn't feel he could look at another piece of bread the same again.

As soon as his hands were free, he helped the woman remove his bonds. As soon as the last piece of rope fell to the ground, the woman took his hand and said, "Let's go." They ran towards the forest.

"Wait!" he called, "My friend, Jewel, he's still out there!"

"Your Unicorn will have to wait," she said, "We'll come back for him later."

After a while, the woman stopped. "We'll set up camp here," she said.

"Who are you?" Tirian asked, "Why aren't you at the hill asking for Aslan?"

"That wasn't Aslan," she said, "My father would never sell the Talking Beasts to slavery in Calormen."

"Your father?"

"Yes. I am Bridget, daughter of Aslan."

Tirian's mind raced back to his history lessons when he was a child. "Yes, I have read stories about you. You come from the mysterious land of the Kings and Queens of Old, and you were brought here as the Protector of Narnia. You also helped find King Rilian. But that was hundreds of years ago."

"Time runs differently in my land," Bridget explained, "I age with that time."

"So you have been roaming around Narnia for hundreds of years."

"Yes. I have been around since the time of the father of your great-grandfather's great-grandfather."

"And you have come to help me?"

"It is my duty to protect all citizens of Narnia. I was patrolling on the Archenland border when I felt that Narnia was in trouble. I came to find you, and now I did."

Tirian sat down on the ground to let it all sink in. Only yesterday, he had heard news that Aslan was back in Narnia, and today morning, Roonwit had told him that he hadn't. Then he finds out that Aslan is letting the Calormenes take over Narnia, and now this woman, who claims she is his daughter, was telling him that her father would never do such a thing.

"I understand that the whole day has been a rough journey for you," Bridget said, "I was just as confused as you are. All you need is a good night's rest. We'll sort this all out tomorrow morning."

Tirian looked at Bridget. Even though it was dark, he could see that she was tired. "But who'll keep watch?" he asked.

"I will," she said. "I can spend a few nights without sleep. You just lie down and rest."

Tirian found that he couldn't argue with her, so he didn't. He lay down on his back and counted the stars, until, finally, he fell asleep.

Tirian dreamed that he was standing in a bright room, where seven people sat around the table. There was food laid out in front of them, and their nearly empty plates told him that they were almost finished with their meals. Two of the people were very old. One was a man, with a white beard, and a wise look about his face. The other, a woman, who also had white hair, and looked like the type of person who smiled a lot. Next to them sat a young man around the same age as himself, with the face of a warrior. Next to him sat another dark-haired youth with the same look about him, but a few years younger. The last three were a young schoolboy and a two girls, all around the same age. One of the girls, the older one, was so beautiful that he couldn't stop looking at her.

The other girl gave a small shriek and pointed in his direction. The old man dropped his glass of wine on the floor, where it shattered into pieces, and the older king-like youth stood up abruptly.

"Who are you?" he demanded, "Are you from Narnia?"

"Maybe he's a ghost," said the beautiful girl.

Tirian felt like he wanted to say something, but he couldn't couldn't get the words out of his throat. It was like, all of a sudden, he had lost his voice.

"Look, it's fading!" shouted the youngest boy.

And slowly, the ghost of King Tirian disappeared into the darkness.


	5. The Seven Friends of Narnia

CHAPTER FIVE: _The Seven Friends of Narnia_

"Who do you think that was?" asked Jill. "He looked Narnian."

"He was rather handsome," Lucy murmured.

"Professor Kirke said he had a feeling there was something wrong in Narnia," Edmund said, "I think he was right. I think that ghost, or whatever it was, needed our help."

"I believe he did," answered Professor Kirke.

"Then we should go and help him, shouldn't we?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, we should." Peter said. "But we can't go back. Aslan said we were never to return."

"He didn't say that about Pole and I," Eustace piped up, "So we should be able to go back there, right?"

"I suppose so," Peter said, "But how are you going to get there?"

They all sat back down in their chairs miserably, until suddenly, Polly had an idea.

"The rings!" she exclaimed, "Digory, do you remember the rings your uncle gave us? Eustace and Jill could use those!"

"Of course!" said Professor Kirke, "They must still be buried under the garden behind the house! But the house was sold a long time ago."

Everyone was silent again, this time thinking of ways they could get into the house.

"We could break in," Eustace suggested, "And dig out the rings."

"What if we get caught?" Lucy asked, "They'll send us to jail, and then we'll never get to Narnia."

"I know!" Edmund said, "We could go early in the morning, and dig them out before they wake up. And we could dress like workmen, so it won't seem weird if people see us."

Everyone looked at Edmund like he was a hero, and Peter clapped him on the back.

"You're a genius, Ed," he said, "You should have ended up in University like me."

"I think I'll stick with the English cricket team for now."

So they all decided that Edmund's plan was the best one, and all went back to their homes. There was one week left the start of the school term, so the rings had to be found within the next week. Peter and Edmund were chosen to go to the house because they were both the right age, and they didn't have to go to school any more. Two days later, in the early morning, Peter and Edmund were hard at work in the garden of the house in London.

"I know that Professor Kirke and Miss Plummer wanted to hide the rings away so no one would see them," Edmund huffed, "But did they really have to dig it this deep?"

"Oh come on, Ed," Peter said, "Surely a former King of Narnia won't find it too hard to dig up a garden."

"This isn't Narnia, this is England. And these rings are impossible to find."

Peter looked at the area he was digging up and saw something shiny. He reached into the ground and pulled out two rings; one green and one yellow.

"Perhaps not," he said, and held the rings up so his brother could see them.

They both quickly filled the ditch they had created with the dirt they had pulled out of it. They then ran to the nearest phone booth and rang the five other friends to tell them of the news. It was settled that Jill and Eustace were to take the train to London, along with Digory, Polly, and Lucy, and meet the others there to get the rings.

Peter and Edmund waited at the station.

"Do you think mum and dad will be on that train?" Peter asked.

"They're going to Bristol, aren't they?" Edmund replied, "Then they're definitely on this train. Does Lucy know?"

"I don't think so. I only found out last night."

They both looked for the train.

"There it is!" Edmund shouted, "It's coming round the bend!"

"It's taking the bend awfully fast, don't you think?"

"Yeah. That's odd."

Then suddenly something went flying towards them and everything went blank.


	6. How Help Came to the King

CHAPTER SIX: _How Help Came to the King_

When Tirian woke up, he saw seven inquisitive faces looking down at him. The same seven faces from his dream.

"Ah!" he screamed, and sat up with a start.

"I'm sorry," said the beautiful girl, "We didn't mean to scare you."

Tirian stared blankly at her for a second and then shook his head. "No," he mumbled, "No, it's alright."

The girl smiled, and suddenly it was like the whole forest lit up. She held her hand out to him. He took her hand and she pulled him up to his feet.

"And you are?" she asked.

"Tirian!" a familiar voice called out, and when they all turned towards the sound of the voice, they saw a beautiful dark young woman on a pearl-white horse riding towards them from the forest. She had a worried expression on her face. "I heard voices and -"

"Bridget!" the youngest girl cried, and ran towards the horse, along with the youngest boy. Bridget was startled at first, but then she smiled and unmounted her horse and ran towards them.

"Jill! Eustace!" she exclaimed, and embraced them both.

"Jill? Eustace?" Tirian asked Bridget, "These are the two children who helped you rescue King Rilian from the Witch?"

Bridget looked up. "Yes," she said. This was the first time he had seen her in full daylight. She had her hair left open and she was wearing an elegant, intricate, colourful gown that had many layers, but she covered most of the top half with a chain mail hauberk and a brown leather cuirass. She wore a belt made of pure gold, and attached to it there was a sheath of a Narnian two-handed sword. She also wore a quiver of arrows on her back, but there was no bow in sight. She stood up straight and had a good look at Eustace and Jill. Like an older sister making sure her two younger siblings were alright. "Look at you two! You've grown! And Eustace, you're taller than me now!"

"And I'm as big as you!" Jill exclaimed, lifting her chin up.

"Indeed you are," Bridget laughed. She looked around at the five others. "The seven friends of Narnia."

"You know who they are?" Eustace asked.

Bridget nodded. She looked at the two elderly people at the group. "Lord Digory and Lady Polly," she said.

"From the dawn of time?" Tirian asked, "And they are still alive in your land?"

Bridget nodded. She turned to the three others who had yet to be introduced to Tirian. "Queen Lucy." She looked at the fair-haired man and half curtseyed. "High King Peter."

"The Magnificent," the High King added, and the young man next to him snorted.

Bridget turned to the younger man and paused a while before saying, "And King Edmund." They looked at each other strangely for a moment, and Tirian could feel a sort of tension between them, like they had known each other once before.

"The Kings and Queens of Old," Tirian marvelled, "But I thought there were four. Weren't their two sisters?"

"Susan is no longer a friend of Narnia," Peter said shortly.

"She stopped believing in Narnia years ago," Jill said disapprovingly, "She only cares about lipsticks and nylons and good looks."

"Are you the Bridget that Eustace and Jill told us about?" Lucy asked, changing the subject, "The Daughter of Aslan?" When Bridget nodded, she added, "Then how come we haven't seen you before?"

"I only arrived in Narnia about two decades before Rilian became King. That's around a year on Earth."

"And you're really Aslan's daughter?" Peter asked sceptically, "How come Aslan never mentioned you?"

"He never felt the need to," Bridget replied matter-of-factly, as if it answered everything. "But now, we should move. It's already mid-afternoon. We should look for a place to rest for the night."

"Why don't we set up camp at a garrison tower?" Tirian suggested, "My father had them set up all around Narnia, so one shouldn't be far away."

Everyone agreed that a garrison tower would be the safest option to sleep for the night, and on their way, Tirian brought them all up to speed with the situation in Narnia.

The tower was dark and damp, and not a very nice place to live in, but it was well protected and hidden from enemy eyes. It was stocked with all sorts of weapons, from swords and shields to longbows to maces. The armour was well-oiled, and there were a few rude bunks to sleep in. Just outside were a few stables, where Bridget kept her horse. Jill, Lucy, and Eustace went to gather firewood, and Peter, Digory, Polly and Tirian stayed inside to talk more about the Calormenes and the fake Aslan.

Bridget was in the stables, combing her horse's mane.

"She's beautiful," said a voice behind her. Bridget turned around and saw Edmund admiring her horse. She went back to grooming her horse.

"Yes, she is."

"Does she have a name?"

"Why don't you ask me yourself?" asked a different voice.

Edmund looked at the horse, dumbfounded. "Did you just … speak?"

"Yes," said the horse, "There are talking horses other in Narnia, you know. My name is Selene."

Edmund blinked, and suddenly his head wasn't so blank any more. "Like the moon?"

"Yes," said Selene, and he swore he could see her smile. "That's close enough."

"Speaking of Talking Horses and the moon," Bridget interrupted, "There's someone waiting for you in the other stable."

Edmund looked at her quizzically. He moved slowly towards the other stable, looked inside, and let out a yelp of surprise.

"Phillip!" he exclaimed, opening the stable door and wrapping his arms around his old horse. "I thought you were long gone," he told him.

"I was, apparently," Phillip said, "But this young woman here says she brought me back to life."

Edmund turned to Bridget and she nodded. He smiled, and turned back to Phillip. "Now that you're back, can we go for a ride?"

Phillip snorted. "The minute you see me you want to put me to work." But he let Edmund mount his back.

"Want to come with us?" Edmund asked Bridget.

"We were going to come anyway," she said, "Selene is due for her evening walk."

They both got on their horses and rode out into the forests.

Tirian, Lucy, Eustace and Jill came back just in time to see Edmund and Bridget leaving for the lush green mass of trees to the west of the castle.

"That horse looks a lot like Phillip," Lucy commented.

"Edmund's horse?" Jill asked, "But he should be dead by now."

"If you look at it that way, then so should we," Eustace pointed out.

Tirian didn't seem to be listening to the previous conversation. "Is she really Aslan's daughter?" he asked.

"Yeah," Eustace told him, "We saw it for ourselves."

"But how is that possible? Aslan is the Great Lion, and she is merely a Daughter of Eve."

"She told us that Aslan came to her mother in a dream," Jill remembered, "And then her mother woke up and found herself pregnant."

"Besides, she's not just any Daughter of Eve," Eustace said, "She's magic. Literally. I'm not even sure if she is a Daughter of Eve, and I don't think she knows either."

"At least," Jill added, "She didn't used to know."

In the evening, everyone had some of Bridget's sweet bread and apple cider. No one knew where she got it from, but it was so good that no one really cared. They were all exhausted, not just from the journey to the tower, but also the events of the the previous few days. Bridget offered to keep watch again, while everyone else slept in their bunks, but even she was too worn out to stay up all night. In the morning, Peter, who was the earliest to get up, found Bridget sleeping soundly on a makeshift bed of unused firewood near the hearth.


	7. A Good Day's Work

CHAPTER SEVEN: _A Good Day's Work_

Tirian woke up later than the others. He found the others outside, already fully-clad in armour and artillery. He found Bridget practising her archery with Lucy and Polly. He went up to her.

"We have to find Jewel," he said.

"You're right," she replied, "We were just getting ready. Neither of them have touched a sword or a bow in years. And the road will be dangerous."

"We're already ready," Polly said, "This Narnian air has been working on us ever since we came here."

"Are you sure?" Bridget asked her.

"We've all handled 'dangerous' before," Lucy said, "I think we can handle it again."

In a few minutes, they were all on their horses (which were found in the stables) and ready to set off on their journey. They travelled north, using the Jill as their guide, as she was the best path-finder of the lot.

"She's even better than Bridget," Eustace said.

"Well," Bridget said, clearing her throat, "She did learn from the best."

"And who's that?" Eustace asked, "Puddlegum?"

Bridget reached out to punch Eustace playfully on the shoulder, but he pulled on his horse's reins and dodged it, only for his back to be met by Jill's fist. He pretended to cry out in pain.

"Oh dear!" said Jill, "Did I hurt you?"

"Oh yes," said Eustace sarcastically, "I'm crouched over in pain. Can't you see?"

"That's really funny."

Bridget patted Eustace on the back. "I'm sure she's laughing on the inside."

"How did you guess?" Jill asked innocently.

Bridget was about to say something when Lucy held up her hand. "Have you noticed how quiet it is?" she asked.

Eustace stopped and listened. "It's too eerie," he agreed.

"It's like back in the days of the White Witch." Peter murmured. Edmund gulped. Even after all these years, the thought of the White Witch still scared him. She had bought him over once, and since then she had come close to doing it again. Edmund had a feeling that, one day, he was going to give in to her antics once again.

"Do you think she has something to do with this?" Lucy asked, echoing his fears.

"No," Bridget replied, "It can't be. If it was her, it'd be snowing in the middle of summer."

"Good point." Edmund relaxed a little. His possible meeting with the Witch was postponed for now.

They rode on for a few hours, until they saw a clearing in the distance. They all went silent.

"I think there's something there," Jill whispered.

They got off their horses and tied their bridles to nearby trees, and moused silently to the edge of the glade. There they saw the Stable, and in front of it sat a dozing Calormene sentry. There didn't seem to be anyone around, not even the Ape.

They moved back towards the horses.

"Only a few should go," said Tirian, "If all of us go to the Stable, then we will be easily spotted."

"The King is right," said Digory, "Polly and I will stay back. We're too old for all this action."

"I shall stay back as well," Bridget said, "I'll take care of the horses."

"And the oldies too, I hope," Polly called out.

Lucy decided to go with Tirian. "You lot have been leaving me out of the action for years now," she complained, "Not any more."

"Is that all?" Edmund asked, innocently.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, but she had a feeling what was coming.

"Tirian," he coughed loudly, and then cleared his throat. Lucy scowled at him. This was what you got for telling your every waking thoughts to your siblings.

She looked around, hoping no one had heard that, and walked silently to Tirian's side (much to Edmund's delight).

Jill and Eustace also voted to go with Tirian. They were the youngest and freshest out of all of them, so it was expected that they would go to the Stable.

"I suppose I'm staying behind, then" Peter sighed. He sat on the grass downheartedly. Tirian felt a little sorry for him, but he couldn't do anything about it. Four was enough. It was better not to risk it. Especially since the Calormene Army could easily outnumber them.

They moved slowly back to the edge of the clearing. Tirian put his finger to his mouth, as if to tell them to be silent. He moved forward and called for them to follow. He walked up to the half-asleep sentry and tapped him on the head. The sentry jumped to consciousness.

"How do you do, sir?" Tirian asked.

Before the sentry knew what was happening, he found his hands held tightly together at his back and a dagger being pressed at his throat by someone kneeling behind him.

"One noise and you're dead," whispered the voice in his ear. It sounded like a woman.

"Tell me where the Unicorn is," Tirian said slowly, "And I shall spare you you're life."

The sentry didn't want to die. "B-behind the Stable, s-sir," he quivered.

"Go," Tirian whispered to Eustace, who was standing there watching.

Eustace hurried to the back of the Stable, and there he found a pearl-white unicorn, his bridle tied to a large ring on the other wall of the Stable. He cut the ropes with his sword and lead the equine out to the front, where Tirian and Lucy stood with the sentry. As soon as Tirian saw Jewel, he ran up to him and put his hand over his friend's mouth.

"Jewel!" he whispered, hardly able to hide his joy, "No, don't neigh. We have to leave."

They tied the sentry up in the same ropes which had bound Jewel, and ran back towards the safety of the forest. Tirian did a head count. Three heads.

"I'm sure we had four among us," he said, confused, "Are we missing someone?"

Eustace looked around. "Pole," he said worriedly. They turned around, just in time to see Jill walking towards them. She held a leash, and attached to the leash was a small animal in a lion's suit.

Eustace opened his mouth, but Jill hushed him.

"Don't ask," she said with suppressed laughter, "Let's move."

They did as she told them. Tirian and Lucy worried for her mental health, but they asked no questions. When they got back to the others, Jill burst out laughing, as if she couldn't hold it in any more. Bridget looked at Jill and then the small animal, and started chuckling herself. The others gave them both a strange, concerned look. Once Jill came back to her senses, she explained herself.

"Everybody," she said dramatically, "I bring you the false Aslan."

Everyone was silent for a minute. "What?" Tirian asked.

"This is the one all those creature believe to be Aslan," Bridget said smiling, "He's the one they've been seeing." She looked at Tirian, "I told you it wasn't my father out there."

"How the devil did you find him?" Peter asked.

"Well," Jill started, "When the others were taking care of the Jewel and the sentry, I decided to go into the Stable to see what was actually in there. So I went in. And I found him," she gestured towards the animal, "Turns out the Aslan everyone has been telling you about is just a donkey in a bundle of lion-skin."

Tirian took out his sword.

"What are you doing, Sire?" Jewel asked sharply.

"I'm going to smite the head off the accursed Ass," he said terribly. Lucy watched him, and she was terrified. She had never seen an expression like that on any human-being.

"You can't do that!" Jill cried, and put herself in front of the donkey, "He didn't mean to do any of it! It wasn't his idea, it was the Ape's. He's fed up with the Stable now and he came with me quite easily, without any fuss." She patted the donkey's muzzle, "His name is Puzzle, and he really is very sorry."

Tirian couldn't deny a request like that. "Very well," he said, and sheathed his sword. He turned to the donkey. "What do you have to say for yourself, Ass?"

"Me, sire?" the Donkey whimpered, "I am truly sorry if I have done wrong. The Ape told me Aslan wanted me to dress up as a lion. I assumed he knew best."

"That sounds credible to me," Edmund said, "If what he's saying is the truth, then he hasn't really done anything wrong, has he?"

"No," Tirian realised, "I suppose he hasn't." He was ashamed that he lost his temper like that. He remembered that, according to legend, Edmund too was very temperamental. If this was true, then he sure didn't give much of that away. He admired the Just King for his patience.

Jill interrupted his thoughts. "Is it just me," she said, "Or does anyone hear drumming?"

"It's probably just you Pole," Eustace laughed, and then he listened. "But in this case," he added, "You're right. I hear it too."

"It sounds like the dwarves," Jewel muttered, "Shall we go meet them?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Peter said, "This'll prove to everyone that Aslan really hasn't come back."

"Are you sure?" Polly asked, "From what I know, dwarves tend to be very treacherous."

"She's right," Bridget warned, "We should be careful. We don't know who's side they're going to be on."

"Let's find out," Tirian said. He got on Jewel's back and trotted towards the sound of the drumbeats. The rest got on their horses and followed after them silently.


	8. Mainly About Dwarves

CHAPTER EIGHT: _Mainly About Dwarves_

After a matter of time, the group came upon about thirty dwarves, all equipped with the various tools needed for mining. They were lead by two Calormenes, and in the distance, another two brought up the rear.

Tirian drew his sword, but only as an idle threat. "Stop," he thundered. The two Calormenes halted in their tracks. "What do you think you're doing with these dwarves?" he asked them.

One of the Calormenes sniggered. "And why should we tell you, Narnian?"

"Because of this," Bridget said, drawing her sword and putting it to his throat.

"O-okay," the Calormene stammered, "N-no need to be so h-h-hasty."

"Answer the question," Peter ordered.

"We're taking them for work in the mines in Calormen," the other Calormene said quickly.

Lucy shouted to the dwarves. "And you're just going to go along with them nicely?"

"Has the Tisroc conquered your land?" Tirian asked, "Are you going to willingly die in the salt-pits of Pugharan?"

"It was Aslan's orders," a dwarf told them.

"What could we possibly do against Him?" another said.

"Tisroc?" a dwarf spluttered, "I'd like to see him try it!"

"Quiet, manikin!" roared one of the Calormenes at the back. A dwarf promptly kicked him in the shin and he cried out in pain.

"It's all a lie!" Jill cried. She brought Puzzle to the front so everyone could see him. "This is the Aslan everyone's been talking about. The Ape has been using him to get what he wanted. You have all been cheated."

Once the dwarves saw the pathetic donkey, they started to wonder how they had ever been taken in. They started mumbling amongst themselves, furious that they had been deceived.

The two Calormenes in front drew their scimitars and rushed towards Tirian. Peter and Tirian got off their horses and clashed their swords with the two soldiers. The other two Calormenes, who were at the back, rushed to help their compatriots. But Jill and Polly were ready with their bows and arrows, and the two unfortunate men were soon shot down. Seconds later, the other two also lay dead in front of Tirian and Peter. Peter looked at Tirian and gave him a respectful nod.

"Now, dwarves," he proclaimed, "You are free. And tomorrow we will free the rest. For Narnia, and for Aslan!" He pointed his sword at the heavens dramatically. He expected a round of applause, but it never came. He lowered his sword and looked around at the dwarves to find most of them scowling at him.

"Excuse me?" Edmund hesitated, "Weren't you listening? Does the word 'freedom' mean anything to you?"

"What's wrong with you?" Jill asked, "It's all over. When we're done, the Ape won't rule Narnia any longer. Everyone can go back to their ordinary life. We can have fun again. Don't you want that?"

"And who might you lot be?" a dwarf asked, "I recognise the King. And I know that dark girl to be the Protector of Narnia. But the rest of you?"

"I'm the High King," Peter exclaimed, "Peter the Magnificent. And my brother, King Edmund, and my sister, Queen Lucy." He gestured to his siblings.

"And I'm Jill," Jill said, "The same Jill who rescued King Rilian from enchantment." She pointed at Eustace. "Scrubb was there too, along with 'that dark girl'."

"And Polly and I," Digory came forward, "We were the same ones who were there at the time of Narnia's creation. And I believe Aslan sent us all here."

The dwarves all looked at each other with sneering grins.

"I don't know about how you chaps feel," said one dwarf, "But I think I've heard enough about Aslan for the rest of my life."

"What do you mean?" Tirian asked. His face was pale. Peter's plan was supposed to have worked.

"You must think we're bloomin' soft in the head," one dwarf claimed, "We've been fooled once, and we won't be fooled again in the next minute."

"I mean, look at him!" another exclaimed, "He's an old moke with long ears."

"But this isn't Aslan!" Eustace said, "This is the fake. Don't you understand?"

"Oh, and I suppose you've got a better imitation?" asked another dwarf.

"No," said Peter angrily, "We serve only the real Aslan."

"Sure," said a dwarf, "And where exactly is this Aslan?"

"My father will show himself when the time is right." Bridget called out.

"Oh, he's your father now, is he?" the dwarf scorned. He turned to his comrades around him, "Now tell me, boys, how could a lion father a mere Daughter of Eve?"

Bridget was silent, but hurt. She looked at the ground and hid her face under a mane of hair. But before she did that, Edmund noticed that her eyes were glassy and tears were starting to form.

"She's not just any Daughter of Eve," Edmund shouted at the dwarves, "I'll bet she's braver and more talented than all of you lot put together."

Bridget looked up and gave Edmund a small smile. She wasn't crying, but there were small traces of dried tears around her face.

"Sure, sure," sniggered the dwarves.

"If you're Aslan's daughter," a dwarf asked, "Why can't you make him appear in front of us now, eh?"

"He's not a tame lion -" Bridget started, but she was rudely interrupted by a teasing chant of "Not a tame lion, not a tame lion,". She took a deep breath to stop herself from unmounting Selene, grabbing the nearest chanting dwarf's throat and squeezing the life out of him.

"That's exactly what the other lot kept telling us," some dwarves complained.

"That's it," huffed a black dwarf, "I've had enough if it. Enough of Aslan, enough of Kings and Queens, enough of protectors. Enough of it all. I can take care of myself, thank you."

The other dwarves roared in agreement. "The dwarves are for dwarves!" they shouted. They formed a single file and marched along in the opposite direction.

"Those little beasts!" Eustace exclaimed when they were out of sight.

"They remind me of the dwarves from back in the reign of the White Witch," Lucy reminisced, "Horrid creatures."

"Come on," Digory said, "Let's go back to the garrison tower."

They rode back in silence, furious and disgusted with the dwarves.

When the tower was in sight, Tirian stopped. "Someone's following us," he said.

They turned around to find a dwarf following after them.

"What are you doing here?" Tirian growled.

"I'm on your side, Your Majesty," the dwarf said. He was slightly even for a midget. "I only just managed to get away from the others." He bowed humbly, "I am Poggin, at your service."

"Well," Polly said, "I'm sure a dwarf could come in handy at some point of time."

"Rise," Tirian said. Poggin rose slowly, a little afraid. He had seen Tirian fight earlier that day, and he didn't want to suffer the same fate as the Calormene. But when he saw Tirian smiling, all his fear vanished instantly.

"Good on you, Poggin," Jill said. She got off her horse and patted him on the back. The others murmured in agreement, glad to have another addition to their group.

When they got back, Tirian and Peter got to work finding some weapons and armour that would suit Poggin's stature. Polly and Lucy went to gather some fruits and berries from the forests outside, and Eustace and Jill got to work starting and maintaining a fire.

Edmund was helping them, when he saw Bridget walk towards the forests in the west, alone. As soon as the fire was started, he ran into the woods to catch up to her.

He saw her sitting in a small clearing, staring into space. He went up to her and sat opposite her slowly. When she saw him, she lowered her head the way she had done with the dwarves.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

She was quiet. "I'm fine," she said after a while. She didn't look fine.

"Maybe you'll feel better back at the tower," he suggested.

"No, really," she said, "I'm perfectly alright." She looked up at him and smiled a little. He noticed a tear drop racing down her cheek, and another forming at the corner of her eye.

"You got something on your eye," he said, gesturing to where he'd seen the tear.

She sat up straight and rubbed her eyes with her sleeve.

"Oh, Bridget," someone shouted, "Are you crying again?"

They turned to see Jill running towards them.

"I'm not crying," Bridget said, "It's just the wind."

Jill wasn't fooled. "What is it this time?" she asked.

Bridget sighed. She paused before speaking. "For the past century, I was happy. I thought I could do anything. Fight anyone. I felt … invincible."

"And this is relevant because?" Edmund asked.

"Shut up," Jill scolded him. She turned to Bridget. "If this is about what that stumpy cretin said, then ignore him. He doesn't know you, and he doesn't deserve to."

"But he's right, isn't he?" Bridget argued, "Why me? Why would Aslan choose a girl from Cambridgeshire to protect an entire country?"

"Because you're his daughter," Jill replied, "And he loves you."

Bridget laughed bitterly. "Right," she said, "Jill, the only reason I was born was because Aslan needed someone to stand in for him when he was gone. He doesn't love me. I'm just a tool to him."

"Bridget," Edmund said firmly, "Look at me."

She looked at him. He seemed sad and sympathetic at the same time.

"Bridget," he said again, "I don't know you as much as Jill does, but you, of all people, should know that Aslan would never think of anyone as a tool. Not ever."

"And I'm sure he loves you like a daughter," Jill said calmly, "And for who you are, not what you can do."

Bridget looked at Jill, then Edmund, back at Jill, then at the grass. "You're right," she sighed, "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Neither do I," Edmund agreed, and stood up, "What was she thinking Jill?"

Jill rolled her her eyes and got up as well. Bridget watched them and smiled. She was lucky to have friends like these. As she smiled she found more tears springing up in her eyes. She rubbed her eyes one last time. She wouldn't be crying again.

When they went back to the fire, they were met by Eustace.

"And where have you been?" Eustace asked Jill and Edmund, "The two of you just ran off and left me with the fire."

Edmund looked behind Eustace at the large orange flames that rose out of the firewood. "And you were worried because you needed all the help you could get."

"Besides," Jill said, "Bridget had some self-esteem issues to deal with."

"Again?" Eustace asked.

"This has happened before?" Edmund asked, "You obviously neglected to tell us this bit."

"We left it out of our story, out of respect for Bridget. But now that the secret's out -"

"The last time we were here," Jill interrupted, "Bridget had trouble adjusting to her duties."

"Trouble?" Eustace scoffed, "You should have heard her. 'Oh dear, I don't think I can do this,'" Eustace imitated, "'I'm no good at anything,'. It was that every single day. You wouldn't believe how annoying that is."

"Don't be mean, Scrubb," Jill said, "She didn't complain every morning, only a few times. And this time, it was that dwarf. He was messing with her head."

"No," Bridget finally spoke up, "He's right. I was being a pansy. But I've stopped now, I think."

"Good," Edmund said, "I don't like pansies."

Polly and Lucy came back with a basket full of apples and two dead rabbits (not a Talking Rabbit, of course). They also brought a basket of fresh grass, which Jewel and Puzzle munched on while Tirian skinned the rabbits. The horizon shone with the colours of the twilight, as everyone gathered around the large bonfire out the front of the tower.

"We didn't manage to find anything for useful for dwarves in the tower," Peter announced. "We'll just have to make adjustments to what we have."

Just then, Bridget brought along with her what appeared to be a large sack full of various unknown items.

"What's the bag for, Bridget?" Lucy asked.

"You'll see," she said enigmatically, and pulled out a large sword with many small inscriptions on the steel.

"My sword!" Peter exclaimed. Bridget gave it to him, and he held it as if it was a long lost friend.

"Rillian's son gave these to me after he found them in the palace's treasury," Bridget explained, as she handed Lucy a dagger and a large bottle made of crystal, filled with a reddish cordial. She then pulled out a long-bow and an intricate ivory quiver full of arrows. She handed these to Jill. "I don't think Susan will be needing these any longer."

Jill took the weapon in her careful hands, and slipped into the band that held the quiver to her back. It fit perfectly, and it wasn't the least bit hefty.

"Thank you," she said quietly, as she toyed with the bow in wonder.

"Eustace," Bridget handed him a large gold bracelet, "This is for you." Eustace took the bracelet into his hands cautiously. He had seen this bracelet once before, and his previous experiences with it hadn't been very pleasant.

Bridget noticed his carefulness. "Don't worry," she smiled, "I've changed it, so that's it's safe to wear."

Eustace wasn't very convinced, but he slowly slipped it on anyway. Unlike the last time, he didn't feel any pain. In fact, he felt stronger and braver than he had ever felt before. He looked at Bridget, wondering if she had something to do with it, but she was busy pulling out a large mallet from her sack.

"Digory," she called, and held it out to him.

"Oh dear," Digory hesitated, "I don't think I can handle something that heavy any more."

"You'd be surprised," Bridget said.

Digory took a leap of faith and accepted the mallet. It was surprisingly light. He was even able to throw it up in the air and catch it easily with one hand.

"And for Polly," Bridget said, pulling out a small bell that seemed to be made of china. Polly took the bell carefully and rang it. What came was the most frightful noise she had ever heard. It was so loud and so horrifying that everyone had to block their ears and no one could even describe the sound after they had heard it. They were silent for a spell, even after the sound had dulled.

"Try not to let it ring when it's around us," said Bridget, "And please, only use it if you really, really have to. Hopefully, you won't need it." She pulled out another sword, this time one that was very familiar to Tirian.

"I managed to steal this from the Calormenes just after you were captured," she said as she handed it to him. Tirian accepted it gratefully.

Finally, she pulled out a small sword, a shield to go with it, and a half-size armour. She gave it to Poggin. "Since you couldn't find any in the tower," she explained.

"What does Edmund get?" Lucy asked.

"He's already got it," she explained. Edmund looked at Bridget, then back at the stables, and nodded.

"What about you?" Eustace asked, "You have nothing."

"I already have everything I need," Bridget smiled, "But it's nice to know that you care."

"Alright," Peter said, "Let's eat."

Jill went to the stables to bring the horses over, but she found only Phillip and Selene remained, along with Jewel and Puzzle. They had been talking about caring for their hooves when she arrived, obviously trying to make the Donkey feel comfortable, and she could see that he already looked much better and healthier than he did when he first saw her. She brought them to the bonfire and gave them the fresh grass that Lucy and Polly had gathered.

While they were all eating, Poggin told them what he knew about the enemies. It seemed they had conjured their own story of how Tirian had escaped.

"It was a cat, Ginger," Poggin remembered, "He's a sly-boots as a cat ever was one. He said you were howling and swearing and cursing at Aslan: 'A language I wouldn't like to repeat,' he said. Then he said Aslan himself appeared in a flash of lightning and swallowed you whole. Some of the beasts fainted at that. Then the Ape used the story as an example of what happens if you don't respect him."

"So this Ginger," Tirian mused, "He works for the Ape."

"I wouldn't be to sure, Your Majesty," Poggin replied, "The Ape's taken to drinking lately. The whole things seems to be run by the cat, Ginger, and Rishda Tarkaan, the Calormene captain."

Just then, the sky clouded over and a frost started to blow.

"Does anyone else smell smoke?" Peter asked. It was more of a rhetorical question, since everyone was almost suffocated by these invisible fumes.

"Look!" Jewel coughed, "Over there! Look at it!"

They all turned to look, and all over their faces came the expression of uttermost dismay.


	9. The Start of Their Journey

CHAPTER NINE: _The Start of Their Journey_

In the shadow of the trees on the far side, something was moving. At first glance, one might have mistaken it for smoke, but of you looked closer they would see that this could not be, unless smoke could take the shape of a large hooded humanoid creature with a curved beak poking out. The creature floated on the grass instead of walking, and the grass seemed to whither beneath it.

The friends watched it silently, unable to move, and fearful for their own lives, even though the thing wasn't moving towards them. They watched it for around a minute, until it disappeared into the trees.

"I've seen that thing," Edmund whispered, "Once before." He turned to his siblings. "You would have seen it too. Back in the Golden Age, when the Tisroc took us to that temple. A picture of it was engraved on the wall."

"Tash," Bridget breathed. She looked frightened out of her wits, which was unusual for her, even before she started to live in Narnia.

"So he's real, after all," Jewel said.

"The Ape is going to get more than he bargained for," said the Dwarf. "He didn't believe in Tash, and he called for him. So Tash has come."

"Which way did he go?" Lucy asked.

"North," Tirian said, "To the heart of Narnia."

"It has come to dwell among us," Digory said.

They watched the spot where they last saw it for a while in quiet.

"Well," Polly interrupted, "What now?"

"I say we should go back to Stable Hill," Peter said, "And show them Puzzle. Maybe they'll see how they've been tricked, and join us."

"Yes," Edmund retorted, "Like the dwarves joined us."

"Edmund has a point," Polly agreed, "I think the dwarves served as a warning. If we try to convince the other beasts, Aslan knows what they'll think." Digory nodded.

"Besides," Poggin pointed out, "The Ape looks like he'll be in a heap of trouble soon. Let's leave him to deal with them himself."

"I think we should go to Cair Paravel," Jewel said, "Roonwit might have gathered that army by now. We can go back to Stable Hill with force."

"But if we rally the Narnians already there," Tirian argued, "Then we can get it over quicker, and there won't be as much travel."

"I agree with Tirian," Lucy said, "I don't want to see those poor beasts being bullied by that Ape any longer."

"But we must be careful," Bridget said, "Dying in battle might be an honourable way to go, but what good will that do if we lose?"

"Don't talk about dying Bridget," Jill said, "But what she says is true. We should be cautious."

"I trust Jill's judgement," Eustace said, "With this sort of thing, she's usually right."

"So we go to Cair Paravel then," Selene said. It was the first time most of them had heard her speak. "Majority Rules." Everyone murmured their agreement, and it was decided they would start travelling the next morning.

Poggin stayed up this time, keeping guard while everyone else spent a well deserved rest.

The next morning brought the most glorious day a traveller could have asked for. It was just the right temperature; neither to cold nor too hot. The dew-drops were shining on the grass, and the birds were singing as if there was nothing to worry about. This was the Narnia that everyone knew and loved.

Everyone felt refreshed, even Poggin, who didn't sleep at all. The women bathed first at a nearby stream while the men packed everything they needed, and later it was their turn to wash themselves off. When everyone was done, they equipped themselves with all the battle equipment they may need, and set off. It was a two nights' journey, but that wouldn't be bothering anyone if it was always a nice day like this.

They stopped in the afternoon for a meal. Bridget said she ran out of that sweet bread and cider, so Tirian and Lucy went around to see what they could find.

"You're quite adventurous," Tirian exclaimed after they had been hunting for a while, "For a girl."

"For a girl?" Lucy asked, "Are you saying that girls can't be adventurous?"

"No!" Tirian held his palms up to show he meant no harm. "It's just that …"

"Yes?"

"You were the braver one weren't you? The one who was more involved in battles and wars."

"They don't call me Queen Lucy the Valiant for nothing."

"You didn't seem like that type of person when I first saw you,"

"Oh? Then what did I seem like?"

"You seemed like, well, a girl."

Lucy stopped what she was doing and looked at him quizzically. "A girl?"

"Well, yes."

"Wasn't I always a girl?"

"Of course. But you don't care about your looks and appearance like other girls do. Like your sister."

"Oh." Lucy looked down-hearted.

"What's wrong?" Tirian asked.

"How did they describe my sister in the legends?"

Tirian tried to remember. "Tall, graceful, and she had beauty to die for."

"And me?"

"You? You were, er, a loveable person."

Lucy sighed. "I've always been jealous of her. All my life. I know she doesn't believe in Narnia any more, but what's the good in believing if none of the boys even talk to you?"

Tirian was surprised. "Why wouldn't they?"

"Because I'm not beautiful." Lucy tried to say this as matter-of-factly as possible, but Tirian could tell this affected her.

"That isn't true," he assured her, "I'm sure someone will be there -"

"No," Lucy said, "All my sister's friends can't even tell we're related. And you should see the looks on some of the men's faces when they see that Susan's younger sister isn't quite what they expected."

"But that doesn't necessarily mean you're not beautiful."

"Doesn't it? Name one person who fancies me."

"Fancies you?"

"You know," Lucy started to look embarrassed, "Finds me attractive."

"I find you attractive."

Lucy looked at Tirian, flabbergasted. She didn't know what to say. What could she say, when a handsome young King had just, effectively, told her that he loved her. So instead, she cradled his face in her hands and brought her lips to his. She stayed like that for a few long seconds, and then pushed herself away. When he smiled back at her, she looked away, and went back to looking for game for their lunch.

Bridget and Jill were setting up a fire at their encampment.

"Bridget," Jill said, "There's something I've been wanting to ask you."

"What is it?" Bridget asked.

"Well," Jill hesitated, "When I first saw you … promise me you won't get mad at me."

"Jill," Bridget said, looking up from her fire, "How can I ever get mad at you?"

Jill saw that Bridget had a point and decided to continue. "I noticed something between you and Edmund."

Bridget looked at Jill, alarmed. "You noticed something?"

"Yes," Jill said, "What was that all about?"

Bridget sighed. Jill felt a story coming. Instead, Bridget held her palm out to her.

"Take my hand," she said.

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Jill didn't argue with her and did as she was told. As soon as she touched her, her whole world disappeared.


	10. When Edmund Met Bridget

CHAPTER TEN: _When Edmund Met Bridget_

Bridget waited in the empty dormitory, looking out the window at the rush of cars and children as the Christmas holidays begun. She sat on her bed next to her suitcases and duffel bag, seeing all sorts of vehicles, all except the one she wanted to see. She waited for ten minutes, and nearly fell asleep, until she heard a loud, familiar honk. She looked down to see a large Rolls Royce waiting on the road.

She ran downstairs, outside the dormitory, and all the way to the main corridor, of which the main gate stood at the end. There was still a large crowd of girls roaming around, but none of them noticed Bridget, even though she was the only girl running in the hallway. Bridget didn't mind, and she didn't really notice them either. Her thoughts were usually elsewhere, like just then, when she wasn't really looking where she was going. She nearly bumped into a teacher.

"Goodness!" the teacher exclaimed. She was nearly middle-aged, but very quick on her feet. She was walking with another much older teacher. "Oh," she said when she saw the cause of her exclamation, "Bridget Winslow, is it? I didn't see you there."

"It's alright, Ms. Appleby," Bridget said, dusting herself off quickly, "No one ever does."

Then she ran off towards the door.

"Ms. Winslow!" the older teacher called out, "Just because no one sees you doesn't mean you can break the school rules and run indoors."

"Sorry, Ms. Walters," Bridget called out without stopping or slowing down.

As soon as she reached the car, Bridget opened the door to the back seat to find that it was empty.

"Mother decided to go on holiday did she?" she asked the driver.

"She did," the driver told her. He was a good friend of hers, and she knew she could tell him almost anything. "The lady's taken a well-deserved break, she has."

Bridget went to the back of the car and opened the boot. In it she found two presents, one small and one very large.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Oh, that," the driver said, "Could ye give those to Mr. Chapman for me? It's from yer mam."

"Getting old, are we, Bradshaw?" Bridget smiled.

"'Fraid so, Bridget," he replied, "He'll be in the common room, they says."

The common room, Bridget thought, he's usually in the library. But she took the presents without a sound and made off to the boys' school at the other side of the street.

Bridget didn't know the way to the common room. She didn't even know which house Hugh was in. She'd only been to the library a few times when they both were staying behind at school for the holidays. Hugh was the only person outside her household that she actually talked to, and that was only because he lived in the house that was closest to hers.

Once Bridget was in the building, she was confounded. They were too many twists and turns and corridors that looked exactly the same, and her her line of vision was blocked by the two presents stacked on top of another. If her grandfather could see her then, he would probably make a sexist remark about girls and their sense of direction, even though he knew fully-well that Bridget's directional orientation was by far superior than his ever would be.

After a few minutes of walking, Bridget stumbled upon a dead end. Lurking in that corridor were a group of loud boys. She recognised most of them as being in the same form as her. Then, standing in the middle of their circle, she noticed a boy she had never talked to, but knew well. Edmund Pevensie. He was the one all the other boys looked up to, and the one all the girls admired. He was also, though he didn't know she knew it, a King.

Bridget turned around, hoping she could escape before the group noticed her, but she realised she didn't know where to go. For the first time in her life, she was lost. She had no choice but to ask one of the boys for directions. Oh, deplorable day.

Bridget walked up to the group slowly, praying that her hair was decent.

"Excuse me," she said timidly, her quiet voice muffled even more by the large presents. The boys stopped their conversation and turned around. The ones she could see started smirking when they saw her, glancing at each other as if they were sharing an inside joke.

"What is it, love?" one of them asked, faking innocence.

Aslan's Mane, Bridget thought, they're flirting. My father has prepared me for battles and wars, but he never told me about this.

"C-could you show me the way to the common room?" she asked hesitantly.

"It's down the corridor and second to the left," one of them sneered, "Ain't it, lads?" They laughed teasingly.

"Leave her alone," a voice said, "She's lost. You don't give a lost girl the directions to the loo!"

From the corner of her eye, Bridget saw Edmund Pevensie push through the crowd and walk up to her. Handsome and noble, she thought, no wonder the girls come flocking.

"Here, let me take that," he said to her, taking the biggest gift from her. "I'll show you where it really is."

"Thanks," she told him, happy to be rid of the load, and happy to be around him. No matter how disapproving she was of all the girls who spent all their time caking on their make-up and trying to impress the boys across the road (especially Edmund), she couldn't help finding him a little fetching. And she also felt more important just standing next to him, knowing that if any of the girls had seen her just then, they would be green with envy. She hated feeling this way, but she couldn't help it.

Edmund interrupted her train of thought.

"So which common room do you need to go to, exactly?"

"I don't actually know," Bridget said, "Do you know Hugh Chapman?"

"He's in my form. Western Gate, then. He's in the the same house as I am too."

"Oh." Western Gate. What a coincidence. Bridget made a mental note of the name of his house, so as to avoid being put in a situation like this again.

"What's your name, then?"

"Bridget." She realised he probably didn't know she existed until then.

"I'm -"

"Edmund Pevensie. I know."

"Does every girl know my name now?"

"Pretty much."

"Great," he sighed, "What form are you in?"

"Fourth. Same as you."

"How come I've never seen you before?"

"No one ever does."

Edmund grinned. "That's what my older sister used to be able to say." He then added, bitterly, "Until she started, er, dressing up."

"Susan?"

"That's her. Some times I wish she didn't think she was so grown up." He looked at Bridget, apologetically. "I'm sorry, I'm ranting, aren't I? You probably think I'm some kind of childish fool."

"There is no such thing as a childish fool," Bridget said, looking Edmund directly in the eye. She would have never done that to any other person of the opposite gender, not even her father. But, somehow, she felt brave around him. She felt like she could say anything she wanted to anyone in the world. The feeling was unfamiliar to Bridget, since previous experience showed she wasn't very good with people, but it was a pleasing feeling, nonetheless.

Edmund raised his eyebrows briefly at Bridget's comment, but then smiled. Bridget knew that he knew she understood.

"So," he said, looking to change the subject, "How do you know Hugh?"

"Hugh? He's my neighbour. These presents are from my mother."

"Oh. I thought ..." his voice trailed off.

"You thought what?"

"I thought you two were, er, together."

"Like what? Betrothed?"

"I guess."

"Honestly? What century are you living in? You must have come straight from the Victorian era."

"I tend to jump to conclusions easily."

Bridget was confused. As far as her father and the legends were concerned, Edmund was always one to think things through. Jumping to conclusions was something he avoided at all costs. But she pretended she knew nothing.

"Really?" she said, sounding disinterested, and with ease.

"Er, yes."

That seemed to be the end of their conversation. They came to a large double-door with an emblem on it. Edmund pushed through the doors and they walked into a large room with various house pictures, flags and trophies on the walls. There were six different doors around the room, other than the one they had just come through.

"The door to the fourth form common room is the third from the right," Edmund gestured. He carefully placed the gift he was holding on top of the little one that Bridget had.

"Thank you," Bridget said, "Who knows where in this place I'd be if you hadn't helped me."

"Not a problem. So, this is goodbye?"

Bridget laughed. "You sound so melodramatic. But I suppose it is goodbye."

"Will I ever see you again?"

Bridget looked into his deep brown eyes. He sounded like he cared now, but he was young. A boy of fourteen never knows exactly how he feels. And neither does a girl of that same age. He looked genuinely sad though, and Bridget didn't feel like letting his spirits down.

"You might," she told him, "If you look hard enough."

Edmund nodded solemnly. He looked sad. Bridget was sad too. She had gotten attached to him in the three minutes that she had been with him. She wasn't meant to be close to anyone. Any time now, her father was going to call her to fulfil her duties in Narnia, and the reason the lion didn't let her talk to anyone was because he didn't want her to be missed by anyone when she was gone. She didn't mind this too much. She felt perfectly comfortable when she was alone, content with daydreams of Narnia and what she would do there. But at that moment, she wished she didn't have so many responsibilities. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. She would probably never see Edmund again. And he would probably forget about her in the next week. So what the heck. She leaned up to his face and planted a kiss on his cheek. Then she flashed him a bright smile and ran towards the door to the fourth form common room, leaving Edmund standing alone in the large room with a startled expression on his face.


	11. What News the Eagle Brought

CHAPTER ELEVEN: _What News the Eagle Brought_

Jill blinked twice. She realised she was back in Narnia, as opposed to England in 1944. She saw Bridget, watching patiently, expecting her to say something. So Jill did.

"The cheek? You should have gone for the mouth, you oaf!"

Bridget sighed and her body relaxed. "I'll keep that in mind for next time," she grinned.

Jill smiled. She knew Bridget used to be a quiet, nervous person. But through what she had just seen and 'experienced', she saw a whole new side to Bridget. Until then, she had found it hard to believe that this girl had spent fourteen years in England, that she went to school there, that she had a mother who loved her. But now, Bridget seemed more normal. She felt she could relate to her more.

The change from the Bridget in the vision to a Bridget she was sitting next to now was immense. Jill had never realised how much she had changed until now. She was so much more confident than she used to be, and a lot more outspoken.

Bridget seemed to guess what she was thinking. "You changed me," she said quietly, "You and Eustace."

"No," Jill scoffed, "That isn't possible. You can't just change someone like that."

"Eustace changed you."

Jill knew this was true. Scrubb had changed her in so many ways. She could now do things she never even dreamed she could.

"Alright," she gave in, "So what if we changed you? It's no big deal."

"Yes, it is. Thank you."

"It was a pleasure." And Jill meant it. Besides Scrubb, Bridget was the closest friend she had, even if she hadn't seen her in four years. She would do anything for her. And she knew Bridget would do the same.

"So, Edmund, is it?" Jill nudged Bridget in the side.

"There is nothing between us."

"As if. From what I see you're practically in love with him."

"I am not in love with him!" Bridget exclaimed, standing up.

"What's this all about?" Eustace came and stood next to Bridget.

"Nothing," Jill said, "It's just that Bridget's in love with -"

"Apples," Bridget cut in. "I'm in love with apples." She picked an apple from the ground and bit into it. Neither Jill or Eustace had noticed it there. "I just can't seem to get enough of them," she said, her mouth half-full.

Eustace paused. "Right, then," he said after a while, "I was just, er, going to see how Lucy and Tirian were doing."

"I'll come with you." Edmund appeared next to Eustace. "Lucy's been gone too long."

"We have to stay and look after the fire," Bridget murmured, sitting down, "Don't we, Jill?" She sat down and stared blankly at the flames.

Jill shrugged and nodded at Eustace and Edmund, and they left them to look after the fire. They strode towards where Lucy and Tirian had first disappeared. Before long, they were found. The pair were walking back towards the camp, each carrying several dead wood-pigeons.

"Should be enough to feed ten," Lucy said, "Couldn't find any grass though."

"The grass near the camp should be good enough," Edmund said, "Bridget has a fire going. We'll roast the meat."

Lucy walked up to Edmund and lowered her voice. "Have you been talking with Bridget again?"

"No," Edmund said, unsure of where this conversation was going. He started to walk in the direction of the camp. "I was watching Peter gawk at his old sword. I swear, he probably loves that thing more than his mother."

Lucy wasn't as willing to change the subject as Edmund was. "Do you like her?"

"Well, yes. She's a good friend."

"More than a friend?"

Edmund stopped in his tracked. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

Edmund started to walk again. "Maybe. What's it to you?"

Lucy smiled. "I'm glad you chose her and not one of those pretentious girls from school," she said out loud.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Lucy," Edmund said even louder, looking around to see if anyone had heard her earlier remark. It seemed Tirian and Eustace had. They were snickering to themselves quietly behind them.

"Shut up," Edmund whispered, "This stays between us, got it?"

"My lips are sealed," Lucy agreed. She wasn't entirely insensitive.

Lucy, Edmund, Eustace and Tirian found the others gathered around the fire. Jill found a twig and tied the pigeons to it and left them to roast. After they finished their meal, they all got ready to ride again.

The next stop they made was at night fall. There was enough leftover from lunch for them to eat, along with a few rabbits caught along the way, so they started a fire and sat down to each what they had. Poggin found a Narnian weed called Wild Fresney, which he used, along with water, to make a type of soup. After the meal, most of them sat down to discuss their plans for the next day. After a while, Edmund noticed that Tirian, Lucy, Peter and Bridget were missing, and decided to go look for them. He found Bridget and Peter first, staring out into the distance. When he got closer, he realised that she wasn't just staring into space, but at two figures in the dark. Lucy and Tirian.

The pair were sitting close on a log, with their arms around each. Tirian was pointing at carious stars in the sky, and telling Lucy their history. Lucy knew these stories well, but she still listened to every word he said.

Edmund walked up to Bridget. "I think I'm going to puke," he whispered.

"Well, it's about time Lucy found someone," Peter said.

"Besides, I think it's rather sweet," Bridget added, smiling.

"You girls are all the same." Edmund complained

"I hope not. I used to know some girls who were quite horrid."

"I'm related to one."

"We're related to one," Peter corrected.

"I'm sure Susan will come to her senses, one day."

"That'll be the day." Edmund muttered. Peter shook his head.

Bridget sighed. "You'll understand soon enough."

"Soon had better come quick," Peter said, "Come, let's go. Leave these two alone."

As soon as they got back, Edmund found a spot and lay down. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

The next morning was just as good as the one before. There was no game around, so the group went without breakfast, but even then, everyone was in a generally happy mood. They kept moving towards Cair Paravel, but they hadn't gotten far when they saw something in the sky.

"What is it?" Jill asked, squinting. It was small, and looked black against the blue sky.

"I think it's a bird," Peter said.

"No, Peter," Edmund, who had read more American comic books than he should have, said sarcastically, "It's a plane."

"It's a Talking Bird," Selene said.

"Yes," Jewel agreed, "I can tell from its flight.

"Be wary," Bridget warned, "It might be a spy for the Ape."

"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Digory said, and watched as the bird flew towards them. Bridget readied her bow, and Jill did the same. It was a large eagle with soft, tawny brown feathers. As soon as it landed, Tirian, Bridget, Jewel and Selene recognised it instantly.

"Farsight!" Tirian exclaimed. Bridget lowered her weapon.

"Hail King," the eagle said tiredly. He nodded at Bridget, "Daughter of Aslan." Bridget nodded back.

"Daughter of Aslan?" Jill whispered to her.

"They never listen when I ask them to call me Bridget," she whispered back.

"I'm glad you're here," Tirian said, "You could help us gather the army in Cair Paravel. We are -"

"Sire," the eagle interrupted, "I have grave news. When you hear it, you'll be sorry I ever came."

Tirian gritted his teeth. Hadn't he heard enough bad news already? "Keep going," he said.

"Cair Paravel has been invaded," Farsight began, "And conquered by the Calormenes. I saw some Narnians lying dead, and others fleeing from the city. The Tisroc invaded the country by sea. Twenty large ships of Calormen docked at the coast in the dead of the night."

"What?" Peter exclaimed, "Narnia? Taken over by Calormen?"

"I'm afraid so," the eagle said sadly, "Narnia is no more."

"What happened to Roonwit?" Jewel asked.

"I saw Roonwit with a Calormene arrow in his side. I was with him in his last hour. He told me to tell you to remember that all worlds draw to an end and that noble death is a treasure which no one is too poor to buy."

"So Cair Paravel," Lucy murmured, "It's gone?"

"I don't believe it," Bridget said, "I trust you, Farsight, and I know you wouldn't lie about something like this, but if Cair Paravel has been taken, then I need to see it for myself to believe it."

"I agree," Tirian said. He looked at the rest of them, "I don't care what the rest of you are going to do, but I still want to go to Cair Paravel."

"I'll come with you," Lucy said, and rode up to him.

"We'll all come with you," Peter said, "I haven't let go of Narnia for all these years, and I'm not about to do that now."

Farsight bowed low. "As you wish. But you have been warned." And with that, he flew off into the sky, and disappeared.


	12. Through the Looking Glass

CHAPTER TWELVE: _Through the Looking Glass_

They moved further east, picking herbs and berries on their way. They felt quite different to what they did that morning: agitated, gloomy, and a little hopeless. But at the same time, they all felt a sense of purpose, a different purpose to what they had earlier. They all wanted to prove that Narnia wasn't really dead. When they stopped for lunch, no one felt like going out to hunt, so they sat their and ate what berries they could find. There weren't many, but no one wanted to eat that much anyway.

Something else was bugging Edmund. Yes, he was concerned about Narnia and its fate, but he was bothered by what Lucy had said to him the day before. For the past five years, Bridget had been a memory, one more vivid than most others. When he first met her, Edmund just thought she was a pretty girl from his sisters' school. He sensed she was different from the others, more invisible. But he never thought she was this different. And she had changed too. So much that he wasn't really sure if both Bridgets were the same.

He looked around and found Bridget missing from the crowd. He leaned over to Jill on his right.

"Where's Bridget?" he asked her.

"She went that way," Jill said, pointing behind her, "She said she had something she had to do."

Edmund thanked Jill and went in the direction she pointed in. After a couple of minutes walk, he found a large Narnian mirror standing in a glade. Edmund thought it was rather odd that a mirror would be standing alone in the woods, so he went closer to investigate. He was only a few inches away from the mirror, when he tripped over a large root, and fell head first into the mirror.

Edmund found himself in a place that was entirely different from the one he was in before. He was in a wide corridor, and in front of him was a large door. There were Japanese miniature trees on either side of the door, and various paintings on the walls, ranging from Da Vinci to Picasso. Edmund realised that you would never find a room like this in Narnia. He had to be in England.

Behind him there was a Narnian-looking mirror with various engravings on it. When he looked closer, he could see that they showed to entire history of Narnia, from its creation to the Golden Age to the time of the Telmarines, and even further. He turned back to the front. There were two open doorways on either side of him, each probably leading to another room or corridor. On the doorway to the right, he could see a television. Whoever lived in this house must have been quite rich. He also saw a large rifle on the wall.

Edmund looked into the door on his left to see what was there, when he heard the sound of breaking glass. He turned sharply towards the noise and found a woman staring at him with her mouth open in a large 'o'. She was much older than he was, but she was not yet middle-aged. She ran into the room with the television, grabbed the rifle off the wall, and pointed it at him while walking towards him slowly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked curtly.

"What's wrong, dear?" a voice called out. This one sounded like it came from an old woman. Sure enough, an elderly lady came and stood next to the woman with the rifle. They bore a certain resemblance to each other. She saw Edmund and raised her eyebrows. "Well, I'm sure he means no harm, does he?"

"Who are you?" the rifle woman asked again. She didn't seem to be listening to the other woman.

"Edmund?" a familiar voice called out behind him. Edmund turned around to find Bridget, dressed up in the latest designer clothing and ready for a trip outside the house.

"Bridget? Where am I?" Edmund asked.

"You're at my house," Bridget said, "Near Litlington. In South Cambridgeshire."

"Oh, Bridget, darling," the older woman called out, "You look gorgeous!"

"Isn't she a bit too young for Christian Dior?" Rifle Woman asked.

"Of course not, dear, you can never be too young for Christian Dior. Or too old, for that matter. Besides," she turned to Bridget, "How old are you now?"

"Nineteen," both Bridget and Rifle Woman spoke at the same time.

"Exactly. She's old enough for anything."

"What are you doing here?" Bridget asked Edmund, trying to draw the conversation away from her clothes.

"I came to look for you," he said, "And then I went into the woods and I tripped over something and I fell into this mirror and found myself here." Edmund's words came out in a rush.

"So he's not the enemy?" the rifle woman asked.

"No," Bridget said, "This is King Edmund. From the legends."

"You've got yourself a nice catch, I'll say," the older woman said. Bridget sighed.

"Mother," the rifle woman said, "Please stop embarrassing her."

"Alright," the older woman said, "But you really ought to be finding yourself a man by now. You don't want to end up like your mother."

Bridget rubbed her temples. She turned to Edmund, "Now that you're here, you might as well come along. I have some work to do in London." She looked Edmund up and down. "And you'd better get changed. Can't roam around in public dressed like that."

"He can wear one of Howard's suits," Rifle Woman's mother said, and wandered absently into the room on the left. She came back with a pile of clothes and handed them to Edmund. Rifle Woman took Edmund up a set of stairs and showed him to a room where he could change. Edmund locked the door and quickly dressed himself. After looking at his tunic and sword, he realised why Bridget made the suggestion. He would have looked really out of place if he had travelled to London in medieval clothing.

When he was done, he found his way back to the room he landed in. He saw Bridget, Rifle Woman and her mother talking quietly with each other. He could only catch the words 'alive' and 'train wreck'.

"Is this alright?" he asked.

The three woman turned to look at him.

"You're collar's not done," Bridget said.

"Here," Rifle Woman walked up to him, and did his collar straight. "That's better." She smiled warmly. Now that she seemed to know who he was, she wasn't as hostile as she was before.

"Alright," Bridget announced, "We're off." She opened the door.

"Take care, dear," Rifle Woman said. Edmund and Bridget walked out the door to find a large fountain surrounded by manicured lawns.

"And Edmund!" Rifle Woman called. They turned to look at her. "I know my daughter can take care of herself, but if anything happens to her …" She held an imaginary rifle and pretended to shoot.

"Bye, mother!" Bridget called. She grabbed Edmund's arm and led him away.

"Rifle Woman is your mother?" Edmund cried.

Bridget smiled. "Yes. Rifle Woman is my mother. And she has a name. It's Penelope." She pulled him to a pea-gravel lane that led to the right. "Come on, the cars are this way."

"Cars? Was that a plural?" Edmund asked, dazed. When he turned to look from where he had come from, he saw a huge multiple-storey house, larger than any house he had seen in Finchley.

"You lived in a mansion!" Edmund exclaimed.

"The Winslow Summer House, actually," Bridget said, "But now, it's just the place where my grandparents keep their bohemian daughter and her love child."

Bridget led him onto another lane, this time leading up to a large garage with a Rolls Royce and a Bentley in it. Another Rolls was parked in front of it, and standing next to it was a middle-aged man in a chauffeur's suit, and a younger man in overalls.

"Bridget!" the older man called out, "You're back, I see. You remember me son, Danny?" he gestured to the youth next to him.

"Yes, I do," Bridget said, "I think we last met when we were about 10."

"He's come down from Newcastle," the older man said, "Gonna take over the family business, ain't he?" He patted Danny on the shoulder. Then he nodded at Edmund, "Who's the lad?"

"Oh, I'm Ed -"

"Word," Bridget said, "This is Edward. He's a, er, friend of mine." Edmund looked at Bridget questioningly.

"Well, actually, I'm -" he started.

"You look familiar," Danny spoke for the first time.

"I don't think you've ever met," Bridget said matter-of-factly, "Bradshaw, we need to go to London, quickly."

"Get in, then," the older man, who must've been Bradshaw, said. He got in the driver's seat, and Bridget and Edmund got in to the back. Bridget waved goodbye to Danny as they backed out of the driveway, and they were off.

"What was that all about?" Edmund asked.

"What was what all about?" Bridget replied.

"Since when was my name Edward?"

Bridget sighed. "Bradshaw," she called out, "Do you have a paper? From two days ago?"

"Never get rid o' them," he said, and passed back a copy of _The Telegraph_. "The article's on the front page."

Bridget opened the paper out so the front page was fully visible. The headline read 'Missing Train Accident Victims' Bodies Found'. Below he could see seven pictures of the missing people, but one in particular caught his eye first.

"That's me."

Bridget nodded, but didn't speak. Edmund looked at the pictures and realised that they were pictures of all the Friends of Narnia. "Everyone else is here, too."

"Remember that train?" Bridget said, "The one that you and Peter were waiting for at the station?"

"Yeah," Edmund said, "It was going too fast. There was an accident?"

"A huge one," Bridget said, "It was a complete wreck."

Edmund thought back to something Peter had said before they had seen the train.

"My parents were on that train," he told Bridget, "Are they …"

"I'm sorry," Bridget said. This was all too much for Edmund to take in.

"So I'm dead?" Edmund asked. Bridget took his arm and squeezed it, saying nothing. But Edmund understood. He leaned back as far as he possibly could in his seat and ran his hand through his hair.

"If I'm dead," Edmund asked, "Then how can I be here?"

"That's what I want to know," Bridget said, "But it's better than coming here and dying right away."

Edmund took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"It's not so bad," Bridget tried to assured him, "I'm supposed to have died of cholera."

"But at least you get to visit your family," Edmund said, "I can't do that. They're dead."

"You have Susan."

Edmund sighed.

"Anyway," Bridget tried to change the subject, "You said you were looking for me before you came here. What was it you wanted?"

Edmund looked at Bridget. "It was you, wasn't it?" It wasn't a question.

Bridget looked out the window. "What was me?"

"That girl, five years ago. With the presents."

Bridget sighed. She now regretted trying to change the subject. "So what if it was me?"

"You could have told me!"

"I couldn't have told you. Besides, I didn't think you'd care."

"Of course I'd care! Do you know how hard it is to keep a secret?"

And that's the only reason you care?, Bridget wanted to scream. But she didn't want to create more conflict than there already was.

"Look," Bridget looked Edmund straight in the eyes, "We were young then, and I made a mistake. Alright?"

Edmund opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say. They didn't talk for the rest of the ride.

They were dropped in front of the Post Office. They walked in and Bridget brought some stamps, stuck one on a letter, and put it in the post box.

"You came all this way to post a letter?" Edmund asked her.

"Not just any letter," she replied, "It's a Will."

"A Will?"

"My Will. Sent in from India."

"How does that work?"

"It's – don't worry about it. Besides, there was something else I wanted to do as well." They got back into the car, and their next stop was a cemetery that Edmund found strangely familiar.

"This is Highgate cemetery," he said, "My home's just three miles from here."

Bridget just nodded and walked into the cemetery. Edmund followed her, curious to know what she was thinking. She stopped at a group of rather large gravestones, and stared at the one in front of her. Edmund looked too, and was taken aback.

"Edmund Pevensie," he read, "1930 – 1949."

"I wanted to see them for myself," Bridget explained.

Edmund looked at the gravestones on the right. They belonged to Peter and Lucy. As he went further right, he saw something he never thought would happen so soon. The gravestones of his parents, Helen and Michael Pevensie. He got down to his knees, and felt tears brimming in his eyes. Bridget knelt down next to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"What do you think you think you're doing?" a voice said indignantly.

Edmund and Bridget turned around sharply and got up to find a woman glaring at them. She looked like the type who was usually well-groomed, but today she her hair and clothes were out of place, and she looked like she hadn't slept for days. She wasn't much older than they were, and Edmund recognised her immediately.

"Susan?" he asked.

"Edmund?" She looked shocked when she saw his face, "You're alive?"

"Yes," Edmund said, "And so are Peter and Lucy. We're in Narnia!"

Susan looked around her, and then at the two of them. "You'd better come home," she told them.

As soon as Bridget let Bradshaw know where she was going, Susan took her and Edmund to her house in Finchley. The one Edmund used to live in before he was dead.

Bridget and Edmund told them their story and everything that had happened in Narnia so far, and she gave them the details about the train accident.

"When all of you were gone," Susan told Edmund, "I realised how badly I was treating you. I don't know why I refused to believe in Narnia. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Susan," Edmund assured, "We were never really mad at you."

"I never believed you were dead," Susan said, "I always thought you had gone to a better place."

"You were right," Bridget said.

They sat silently for a while. Then Susan looked at Bridget and said:

"Oh, what am I doing? I invite you over to my house and I don't even offer you anything." She stood up. "Would you like some tea?"

"Well, I -"

"Alright, then. Edmund, will you come with me?"

Edmund looked at his sister, puzzled, but he got up and followed her into the kitchen without a word.

Susan put the kettle on the boil. "Could you get the leaves out, Ed?" she said. It was like the old Susan, the Queen, was back. Edmund was delighted.

"Bridget's quite pretty isn't she?" Susan added. Edmund's new-found delight disappeared all at once.

"What is it with you girls?" he asked her, "First Lucy, and now you."

"Girls have the best intuition," Susan said. "Do you fancy her?"

"I am not answering that question."

"Suit yourself. She seems to like you a lot."

"What? She does?"

"Oh, so _now_ you're interested."

Edmund huffed. He just couldn't win, could he? "Alright," he admitted, "I'm interested. But how can you tell she likes me?"

"It's just the way she looks at you. It's almost obvious."

"It's not really that obvious."

"Yes, Edmund. It is. You're just too boneheaded to see it."

"I am not boneheaded!"

The kettle started to boil. Susan got it off the gas and readied the tea. She brought it out along with some milk, sugar, and shortbread biscuits, all arranged neatly on a tray. She set it down carefully on a table.

"So," Susan said, "Are you two going to go back to Narnia after this?"

"Yes," Bridget said, "I don't know how long Edmund is going to stay alive, and we've already stayed too long."

"I don't feel like I'm going to die any time soon," Edmund murmured.

"Nonetheless," Bridget picked up her tea cup, "We leave after I finish my tea." She took a long sip and nearly choked. "Aslan's Mane, that is hot."

"Is it really?" Edmund said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "But it's straight out of the kettle."

"Guess you two are going to be here for a while," Susan smiled.

In ten minutes, everyone, including Bridget, had finished their tea. They got up and got ready to go.

"Come on, Edmund," Bridget said impatiently as he grabbed some biscuits, "Bradshaw's waiting outside."

"I'm not the one who took a whole minute to take one sip of tea," he retorted.

"Well, you could have taken the biscuits then, couldn't you?" Bridget said.

"I didn't think of it then." he looked at Susan, standing at the doorway. He knew he wasn't going to see his sister in a long time. Then an idea struck him.

"Can Susan come to Narnia with us?" Edmund asked. Susan looked at Bridget expectantly.

"Susan will come when the time is right," Bridget told Edmund. She turned to Susan, "Unfortunately, that time isn't now."

Susan nodded sadly. "I'll be waiting."

"And so will I," Edmund said. He stared at Susan, and then gave her an awkward hug, which he felt was the right thing to do. Then they waved their goodbyes and got into the Royce to go back to Bridget's house.

The ride was quiet for most of it. When the house was in sight, Bridget spoke.

"Don't tell anyone in Narnia about the accident," she told Edmund.

"Why?" he asked, "They have a right to know."

"They do," Bridget said, "And they will. But not now."

"Then when?"

"You'll know when the time comes."

Edmund nodded and promised to keep shut until then.

When they got back into the house, they changed back into their Narnia clothes, equipped themselves with their respective weapons and armour, and got ready to go back to Narnia.

"Mother," Bridget said to the Rifle Woman, "This might be the last time I ever see you. I might not come out of this one alive."

Rifle Woman nodded, and choked back her tears, to no avail. "I understand," she said.

Bridget gave her mother a big hug, gave her grandmother a much smaller hug, and stood next to Edmund, facing the looking glass with the Narnian engravings on it.

"Ready?" she said.

"I think so," he replied. She took his hand in hers and led him through the mirror. His environment went from a manor in the English countryside to a large forest full of greenery. He was back in Narnia. Back home.


	13. Trouble at Cair Paravel

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: _Trouble at Cair Paravel _

When Edmund looked at the mirror behind him, he realised it was a smaller version of the mirror he had seen at Bridget's house.

Bridget seemed to guess what he was thinking. "My father gave it to me," he said, "So I could see Mother."

"Aslan?" Edmund wondered.

"No," Bridget rolled her eyes, "Winston Churchill."

" Edmund! Bridget! You're here!" Lucy came running up to them. Peter followed close behind.

"Where were you?" he asked, "You've been gone for nearly an hour!"

"Well, we -" he turned to point at the mirror, but when he looked behind him, it had disappeared.

"It doesn't matter now," Lucy said, "Come on, we're all ready to leave."

They walked back to where there used to be a fire and got on their horses. They travelled further east. Selene said they should be able to the the castle walls by nightfall.

She was right. As soon as it got dark, the group could see the windows light up with a sinister-looking light.

"Maybe Farsight was right," Lucy said hesitatingly, "Maybe Cair Paravel has been taken."

"There's only one way to find out," Peter said. He stood on a nearby rock and told everyone to gather around. "We shall go to Cair Paravel tomorrow. Whether it has been captured by the Calormenes or not, we need to find some way to gather an army, so even if we can't get Narnia back, we can still get rid of the Ape and that Cat."

"But if it is captured, then how our we going to find an army? All the Narnians who aren't dead have fled the city."

"We'll find a way." Peter sounded confident. He turned to the two elderly people in the group. "Professor, Miss Plummer, you'd better stay behind."

"No," Polly said firmly, "If there is a fight for Narnia, then we fight too."

"Let them do it, Pete," Edmund said, "They were here when Narnia was created. How would you feel if you helped create an entire nation, and then just sat and watched while it vanished?"

"Alright," Peter said, "But I'm still concerned for your health."

"We'll be fine," Digory said, "The Narnian air can only do us good."

"So it's settled then," Tirian said, "Tomorrow morning, we raid the city."

"Only if we need to raid it," Bridget said, "We don't want to scare any Narnians there unnecessarily."

And so it was decided that tomorrow, at the break of dawn, they sneak into the city. They found some meat and ate it, because they knew they needed a hearty meal if they had to battle the next day. They slept early in order to wake up on time the next day, but before they did that they greased their armour and checked if their weapons were functional. They all knew that tomorrow was going to be a big day.

Poggin was the first to wake up. He was used to an early start to the morning, and this wasn't the first time he had gotten up at day's break. He quickly woke the others up, and they got ready to move to Cair Paravel. In the light of the morning, they realised the palace was closer than they thought. Peter and Tirian led their small army, followed by Eustace, Edmund and Digory, and then the archers: Jill, Lucy, Poggin, Polly and Bridget, who made a last-minute but sensible decision to help with the bowmen. She kept her sword with her, though, just in case.

The gates were open, but they were guarded by six Calormene soldiers. Bridget got close to them, but not too close so they could see, and shot an arrow at one of the soldiers. When he fell, the others went to investigate, and one inquisitive soldier started to move towards the source of the arrow. But Bridget was gone.

They sneaked through the gates silently, unnoticed by the guards. The dark there was left helped them walk through the roads without trouble, and no one knew their presence.

"Alright," Peter whispered, "Edmund, Eustace and Digory, you go that way, with the others," he pointed towards the north, "Bridget and Lucy, you come with us."

"We'll meet here in fifteen minutes," Poggin said, "That should leave us enough time to get back to the camp before the sun has risen completely." They split up and went their separate ways.

Peter and his group searched the south of the city. They looked in the small houses, in the stables, and the armouries. They searched in almost every nook and corner in their vicinity, which they could access without getting caught, but they found no one. Disheartened, they headed back to the rendezvous point. There, they found Poggin's group coming their way too, but they seemed to have had more luck. Walking next to Edmund was a woman around the same age as he was. But as she came close, to Peter's dismay, they realised she was wearing the clothes of Calormen. She had a cloak, covering her face. Peter charged up to Edmund.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked. The woman lifted her cloak. In the small strands of daylight, they could see she had big, round eyes, light brown hair, and she was very, _very_ stunning.

"She's on our side," Edmund said, "So I brought her along."

"How can you be so sure?" Peter asked, his voice slowly getting louder, "How do you know she's not tricking us?"

"She said she didn't like the battle and bloodshed her compatriots used to capture this city," Digory said, "It seems only fair that we should give her a chance."

"I still don't trust her," Peter said. His voice was quite loud by now, and they heard the sound of bows being drawn. They looked around them at the rooftops and found themselves surrounded by Calormene bowmen, all ready to shoot at them when the command was given.

"Great," Lucy said to Peter, "Now look what you did."

"Run!" Eustace shouted. They ran towards the gate, which had started to close, but they all made it just in time and ran towards the their camp.

"We can't stay here," Bridget chuffed as she ran, "They're probably going to follow us. We'll have to leave immediately."

Tirian nodded. Everyone had all their belongings on them, so as soon as they got back, they got on their horses (the Calormene girl sat behind Edmund on Phillip's back) and they rode off in the direction they had come in.

After they rode hard for around half an hour, and felt they were safe, they stopped and set up another camp. As they were eating leftovers from last night's supper, the Calormene woman introduced herself to the others.

"I am Fareen," the girl said, "And I am the Tisroc's sister."

"See, Edmund?" Peter scolded, "You brought the blood of the enemy among us. Are you happy now? I bet she was the one who gave us away with those bowmen."

"No," Jill said, "It was probably me. I stepped on a large twig and it made a really loud crack." She lowered her head, "I'm sorry." Bridget put a hand on Jill's back, telling her it was alright.

Peter wasn't convinced about Fareen. "Tirian?" he asked the King, "Don't you have anything to say?"

"No," said Tirian. He was staring at Fareen like there was no other person in the world. Peter looked around and realised that so were Eustace and Poggin, and Edmund was sneaking frequent glances at her himself. Peter shook his head.

"What is with you people?" he asked them, "You'll risk our safety just to help a pretty girl?" He turned to Lucy, "Please tell me you're not like them."

"I'm not," Lucy said shortly. She seemed a little annoyed. "I don't mean to offend you, Fareen, but I don't feel comfortable around you."

Peter smiled. Finally, someone would see it his way. He turned to Bridget, "And how about you?"

"I don't feel comfortable either," she said. She looked a little sad. "But I still say we should give her the opportunity to prove herself to us. She seems genuine to me. And Edmund wouldn't let a Calormene join us unless he had a good reason." Bridget said this last sentence louder.

"Jill?"

Jill hesitated before speaking. "I'm willing to believe that she is on our side." She said carefully.

"And I think the same thing," Polly piped up.

"Most of us want her to stay," Edmund says, "So she stays." All the men in the group, besides Peter and Digory, nodded. Lucy huffed and rubbed her temples with her fingers slowly. Bridget and Jill said nothing. Polly got up to sit next to Fareen, and patted her on the back, welcoming her to their small army. After a small meal, the crew got up to ride back towards the stable. The boys explained the situation to Fareen, each one clamouring for her attention. They told her how they were going to go back to the Stable and try to gather some support there. Fareen said she didn't know anything about any stables, or an Ape, but she was quick to grasp the situation. She felt suffocated from all the attention she was getting, and she was unhappy with the treatment she had received from the others. When they stopped for lunchtime, Bridget and Jill started to become more friendly towards Fareen, realising how unkind they might have sounded to her. It seemed that the old Tisroc, who was very old, had died a week ago, and his son had taken his place. He was the one who had ordered the attacks on Narnia. Edmund found Fareen hiding in the stables getting ready to escape. She didn't like her brother and what he was doing to Narnia. They sat with Eustace, listening to her story while the other busied themselves with other things.

Edmund found a small bunch of apple trees, and invited Fareen to come pick apples with him. When they were out of earshot, Eustace sighed.

"Lucky Edmund," he said, "He's the only one who gets to spend time with her alone."

"What?" Bridget asked, a little shocked.

"Well, you heard Fareen. He was the one who found her in the first place," Eustace said, taken aback by Bridget's reaction, "Ever since then, she almost never leaves him." Then he added slyly, "Are you jealous?"

"A little."

"Really?" Eustace never realised that Bridget had liked Edmund in that way. He had only meant it as a joke.

"Yes. But I'm not going to let it bother me too much. I have a job to do, duties to fulfil. I am not going to let some boy distract me."

"Some boy happens to be a King of Narnia."

"Nonetheless, I am Aslan's daughter. I am better than this." She got up and walked away.

"What was that all about?" Eustace asked Jill.

"She's really jealous," Jill shrugged. And she got up and walked off as well.

"Girls," Eustace muttered under his breath, and went off to find something to do.

Edmund was glad that he had found the orchard. He didn't know about the others, but he was famished.

"I'm sorry about the others," he told Fareen, who was picking apples with him. They were big, round and red, and very, very juicy. The only place you could get apples this good was Narnia.

"It's alright," Fareen said. She felt most comfortable around Edmund. He seemed to be more accepting of her than the others. And he didn't stare at her all the time like the others did. "They're not so bad. The old woman was really nice. And so was the dark girl and her small friend."

"You mean Polly, Bridget and Jill? They're all like that. Or Polly and Jill are, at least. I'm not so sure about Bridget."

"Which one's Bridget?"

"The really pretty, dark one."

"Oh."

"The others aren't all that bad, you know. Lucy's normally the friendliest out of all of us. She's only bitter because Tirian's always looking at you."

"I know Tirian. He's the King, isn't he?"

"Yes. And my older brother, Peter, the blonde one who doesn't like you, he's the High King."

"High King?"

"The King of all Kings."

"Is he always so … distrusting?"

"Pretty much. But he's alright, once he gets to know you."

"I heard that in Narnia, there is a saying: Once a King or Queen in Narnia, always a King or Queen."

"It's true. I'm a King. And Lucy, my sister, she's a Queen."

"What about the others?"

"I don't know about Bridget, since she's Aslan's daughter and all, but the others aren't."

"Aslan's daughter? She's the child of your God?"

"Aslan's not exactly a God. More like … a higher being, I guess."

"And she is his daughter? Can she do magic?"

"I'm pretty sure she can. We've been pretty lucky to find food at every stop we've made. We haven't needed the biscuits we packed once. It can't be a coincidence."

"She's quite pretty."

"Narnia's always full of good-looking people. There's Bridget, Ramandu's daughter," Edmund face became grave, "The White Witch."

Fareen decided against questioning him about the White Witch. She took a nearby apple and bit into it. It was so sweet, sweeter than any fruit she had tasted in Calormen. She knew that she would never be able to return to Calormen the moment she decided to escape with Edmund and his friends, but now she didn't even want to go back. She loved her home, but to compare it to Narnia was like comparing a hovel to a palace.

Edmund laughed at Fareen's reaction when she bit into the apple. "They're good, aren't they?"

"Yes," she mumbled, her mouth full of apple, "The Narnians are so lucky. The land is so beautiful and the food is delicious!"

Edmund's smile disappeared. "I'm not sure this country is going to last for so long."

Fareen sighed. "I'm sorry for what my brother has done. If my father were alive, he would never have let this happen."

"You don't need to be sorry. There's always a rotten apple somewhere."

"Even in Narnia?"

"Yes, even in Narnia."

"We Calormenes aren't so bad, you know. Not all of us like the Tisroc's judgement. And the soldiers have to follow his orders, or else they'd be hanged."

"I never believed the Calormenes were bad people." Edmund picked up a large twig and performed a quality tennis forehand on an apple. "None of us do. We're just all a bit wary because of everything that has happened."

"I understand. I would do the same thing."

Edmund looked at Fareen and cocked his head. "You're not as bad as the others think, are you?" He started to head back towards the camp. Fareen smiled and followed after him.

Everyone sat around in a small grass clearing. No one had made a fire, but that didn't matter, because they only had apples. When Edmund sat down next to Bridget, the look she gave him was a mixture of surprise and – could it possible be? – delight. But when she saw Fareen sitting down on the other side, the look changed into one of disappointment, and almost immediately it changed into a warm smile for Fareen. Fareen also sat next to Peter. Peter took an annoyed breath and shifted in his seat. Lucy was less hostile than she did before; she had given up glaring at Fareen. Digory, Jill and Polly smiled at her when she sat down. The others still stared at her, saying nothing.

"I still don't know all your names," Fareen said, trying to break the ice.

"You probably already know me," Tirian said, "I'm Narnia's King."

"And I'm Poggin," Poggin interrupted, "I'm only a dwarf, but I'm quite strong for my height, I've been told." He sat up straight, as if to emphasise his strength.

"I'm Eustace," Eustace interrupted, "I'm not a King, but I'm the High King's cousin. I'm practically royalty!"

"Oh, give it up, Scrubb!" Jill said, "You're not royalty." Jill turned to Fareen, "I'm Jill, but you can call me Pole. And you can call Eustace 'Scrubb'. It's our last names."

"I'm Digory, but the others all call me 'the Professor'," Digory told her, "I was there when my land and your land were created."

"And so was I," Polly said, "My name is Polly, or 'Miss Plummer', if you like."

Fareen looked at them in awe. They must have been thousands of years old.

"We're all thousands of years old," Bridget said, guessing what she was thinking, "I'm Bridget."

"Yes, I know you," Fareen said, "Edmund talks a lot about you."

"He does, does he?" Peter said, forgetting his differences for a minute, "Edmund?"

"I, er, this is Peter," Edmund said, trying to change the subject.

"The Magnificent," Peter added, and then he remembered who he was being introduced to. The smile which was just starting to form on his lips died down, which was a shame, because Fareen really did like his smile.

"Name's Lucy," Lucy said shortly. She pretended to be engrossed in ripping single blades of grass from the ground.

"Why's Lucy being so temperamental?" Eustace whispered to Jill.

"She's jealous too," Jill whispered.

"Why?"

"Because Tirian won't stop staring at her."

"Are all the girls her jealous of her?"

"No. Polly isn't."

"You?"

"Well, you won't stop staring at her either."

"And you care about that? I'm touched, Pole."

"You should be, Scrubb."

"Oh, come on. What happened to that night when we went to the pictures?"

"And we just happened to bump into your parents."

"That's hardly fair, Pole. How was I supposed to know they were going to be there?"

"They're your parents. You're supposed to know. We're just lucky your parents are what they are. If my olds caught me out alone with a boy, they'd dump me in Australia."

"They're not allowed to do that any more, are they?"

"That wouldn't have stopped my parents."

Eustace felt silent for a while. He had known that Pole had liked him for a while now, otherwise he would never had taken her to the pictures in the first place. But he didn't understand why she didn't just tell him. Girls were so confusing, sometimes.

"I still don't understand why everyone is jealous of Fareen," he told Jill.

Jill rolled her eyes. "You're so thick, Scrubb, I don't think you'll ever understand."

Bridget was listening to their conversation, and it made her smile. Jill and Eustace always made her smile. They were younger than the others, and more carefree. Sometimes she wished she could be like them, but she had learned a long time ago to be happy with who you are.

"We could die, you know." Lucy interrupted everyone's thoughts and conversations. "There's obviously going to be a fight, if we're so bent on gathering an army. And I have a feeling it's going to be our last."

"We will fight till the death," Tirian said. His view seemed to have shifted from Fareen to Lucy, much to Lucy's joy.

"And we'll die in honour," Peter said.

"If we do die, at all," Polly added, "We shouldn't be so pessimistic."

"And if we're smart," Digory continued, "Maybe there won't be any death."

Fareen stood up and stalked towards the apple orchard.

"She's probably going to summon her troops so they can catch us before we leave," Peter said coldly.

"Don't be horrid," Bridget said, standing up and running after her. Peter was a little shocked by that comment at first. Maybe he was being too harsh on her. After all, he didn't have any real evidence against her. And she has never been anything but nice to him since she joined their crew. Now he knew what Edmund felt like when he used to be scolded by Susan all those years ago.

Bridget found Fareen sitting under one of the trees. She sat down next to her.

"It must be pretty disheartening," Bridget said, "Making all that effort to escape the Tisroc, only to find out you're probably going to die soon."

"Am I going to die?" Fareen asked, "Edmund said you knew magic. Can you tell me if I am going to die?"

Bridget hesitated before answering. "I'm not a fortune-teller," she said carefully, "I can't really comment on that."

Bridget wasn't fooling Fareen. "You do know, though. You just won't tell me."

"I can't tell you. It's not safe."

Fareen nodded. "That's alright. I'm not sure I want to know now, anyway."

Bridget let out a small, silent sigh of relief.

"Is Peter always so mean?" Fareen asked, after a while.

"He does tend to be quick to judge people," Bridget agreed, "And he can be a little stubborn at times. At least, that's what I've learnt from the old stories and legends."

"You mean you've never actually met him before?"

"I've seen him. From a distance. But I'd never talked to him until a few days ago."

Fareen sighed. "For a second I thought … "

Bridget looked at Fareen questioningly. "What?"

"For a second I thought he might start being nice to me. You know, when he was teasing Edmund."

"You know what I think? I think he likes you. I think he likes you an awful lot. He's just being horrid to you to disguise it."

"What?" Fareen was confused. "Why would he do that?"

"Because he's Peter."

Fareen thought about this for a while. What a strange young man High King Peter was turning out to be!

"So," Bridget said, leaning back a little, "What exactly has Edmund told you about me?"

"He doesn't really tell me anything. He just slips your name into the conversation every few sentences. Maybe something that you do, or something you might have said."

"Does he?"

"Yes. He seems to admire you a lot."

"He admires you quite a bit, too."

Fareen sighed. "This always happens to me. I wish men would stop looking at me like I'm a piece of meat. I'm a lot more than that."

"Everyone usually is."

"It's a curse, really. I wish I looked more ordinary. The only reason I haven't been married off is because my brother hasn't found a high enough price yet."

"Price?" Bridget looked appalled.

"My father didn't want me married off to just anyone. He wanted me to marry someone who was worthy. But to my brother, I'm just an expensive ornament that needs to be sold off to the highest bidder."

"You're brother doesn't seem like a very nice person."

"He isn't. He spends each night with a different woman. Calormen was such a wonderful place before he took over."

"A different woman every night? Wow."

"Bet you've never had a King like that in Narnia."

"There used to be, apparently. Caspian the Third, I think. No one really remembers."

"Lucky you."

"Well, I don't have a feeling we'll be this lucky for much longer."

They both sighed at the same time.

"We should be getting back," Bridget said after a bout of silence.

"We should." Fareen said. Bridget stood up and helped Fareen to her feet, and the two girls walked back to where the others were. They seemed to be packing up, so Bridget and Fareen got ready quickly, and they were soon on the move. Fareen was riding with Jill on her horse. Edmund suggested she should ride with someone else for a change, and, dashing the hopes of all the males in the group (besides Peter and Digory), and much to Lucy's delight, she chose to go with Jill. Lucy started to wonder if maybe Fareen wasn't such a man-eater after all. She had reminded her of Susan at first, when she was at school. Susan had every boy in the school across the street running after her like slaves. Lucy never thought bad thoughts about anyone ever in her life, except maybe Eustace when he used to be nasty, but the fact that Fareen was stealing Tirian away from her changed everything, even though the rational part of herself knew that Fareen didn't pay much attention to Tirian at all. Tirian didn't seem to notice this though, and that's what bothered her. The only sane people seemed to be Peter and Digory. Even Edmund looked to be under her spell.

"Don't worry, he'll snap out of it," Polly said to Lucy, as if reading her mind.

"He's still looking at her."

"But not as much as he used to. See? He's riding in front of her, where he can't see her. He's getting over it already."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I've had years enough to be sure. The one I'm worried about is Poggin. The poor dwarf is in way over his head. She must be twice his size!"

Lucy giggled. "And he must be twice her age!"

The two friends had a good laugh about it, and Lucy felt much better. Fareen saw Lucy laughing at the corner of her eye and wondered how someone who had so bitter and full of angst a few moments before could be so merry.

The friends stopped at nightfall. Poggin had found some meat on the way (Polly insisted he separate from the group and find something to eat) so they didn't need to waste time on hunting. After eating, while everyone else was getting ready for some sleep, Peter roamed around the nearby forest. He thought about the events that had happened over the past couple of days. He met Bridget, the daughter of Aslan that Jill and Eustace had talked so much about. He wondered why Aslan had never mentioned her before. She was obviously powerful, or so that was what he made out from the stories Eustace and Jill had told him. And then he met Tirian. Tirian was a good King. Perhaps not as good as Peter himself had been, but a sufficient one all the same. But now Tirian was in trouble. The whole of Narnia seemed like it was going to be thrown into another age of terror and anxiety, one greater than the reign of the White Witch and the Telmarines combined. Aslan had vanished, and Cair Paravel was taken over by Calormenes. He felt like he had lost everything, and there was nothing to live for.

His thoughts were rudely interrupted by a rustle of leaves behind him. He turned around to find Fareen walking towards him. He scowled.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Why do you judge me so harshly?" she asked.

"Well, why do you think? You're a Calormene, for goodness' sake!"

"So what? Just because some of my people do bad things doesn't mean we're all like that."

"This is not the first time you Calormenes have done wrong."

"I am well aware of the troubled history between Narnia and Calormen. But you haven't been here in a long time, and my ancestors have worked hard to strengthen our ties with this country."

"What, so you can take over the country?"

"That was a stupid decision that my brother made. I'm fighting against him. I'm on your side."

"You're only on our side because my block-headed younger brother finds you attractive. Once all of us is dead you'll probably turn the entire stable hill into some kind of temple for that God of yours."

"That God of mine happens to have a name."

"Oh, so he is your God? Then what are you doing with us?"

"So you're going to discriminate against me because I worship another God? Then you're just as bad as any other tyrant. Especially my brother."

Fareen's harsh words pierced Peter like an arrow in the chest. Only then had he realised the gravity of what he was saying to her, and how it affected her. He was supposed to be a great King, strong and true. He couldn't be that King if he was going to leave people out.

"You're right," he sighed, "I'm sorry. You deserve a chance to prove yourself, and I'm denying you that chance."

"It's fine," Fareen said softly, "You're really nothing like my brother. He's much worse."

Peter smiled. "Nice to know."

"Are you ready to go back to people now?"

"I guess. You know, maybe you're not as bad as I thought."

"Neither are you."

"Good."

"Good."

They smiled at each other, and walked back towards to group. Everyone else was fast asleep, and in no time, so were they.

The next morning was grey and sober. The skies were still that unnatural blue that Narnia was now famous for, but after having spent two days in bright sunshine, the atmosphere seemed grave and sombre. The troop marched sadly, but they still had a purpose: to fight for Narnia or die trying. The day wasn't very eventful, except for when they were discussing battle plans.

"What about Archenland?" Edmund asked suddenly, "We could ask for help from them! Surely they won't turn down the request of the King of Narnia."

"No," Fareen said, "My brother intends on invading Archenland soon, if he hasn't already. He has the support of most of the generals in the army, and those who don't follow his orders might as well be dead. Archenland has no hope."

Peter nodded, "Besides, we've already come up with a plan for Stable Hill. We'll stick to this for now."

"Since when did you start agreeing with her?" Lucy asked, but she was starting to lose her hatred for Fareen as well. Tirian had stopped eyeing Fareen, just as Polly had said he would. So had Eustace and Edmund. Poggin was just starting to lose interest, but that was only because Polly and Digory kept sending him on odd jobs to do.

"Fareen and I have made an agreement," Peter said, "I will be nice to her, and she is going to prove herself."

"I didn't know there was some kind of contract behind this," Fareen said, "I thought -"

"It was a joke," Peter said slowly, "Get it?"

Fareen looked surprised, then smiled. "Well, it wasn't very funny."

"She has a point, you know," Edmund pointed out.

"Oh, shut up," Peter aimed a punch at Edmund's arm. Edmund playfully shoved him back.

"War?" Lucy reminded them.

"Right," Peter said, shaking his head.

The group moved on without delay. They decided not to stop at nightfall, because they wanted to get back to the garrison tower as quickly as possible, where they could restock and repair their weapons and any damaged armour. By late morning, they reached the tower. They were all entirely worn out from exhaustion, having not taken a rest in nearly twenty-four hours. The first thing they did when they got inside the tower find their bunks and all fell into a deep slumber.


	14. The Great Meeting on Stable Hill

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: _The Great Meeting on Stable Hill_

The gang woke up in the late afternoon. They were all well-rested, and pumped for the battle ahead. They were going to wait for midnight, when the Ape would address the Narnians. It was then that they would announce the Ape's betrayal and show Puzzle to them. Bridget cleaned the old lion-skin in the river, and changed it so that Puzzle would feel more comfortable in it than he did before. Hopefully after the Narnians had realised they had been deceived, most of them would join Tirian and fight against the Calormenes, but if not, then they were probably going to die in battle anyway. Tirian remembered what Roonwit wanted him to know: _All worlds draw to an end, and noble death is a treasure which no one is too poor to buy_. If Tirian could ever choose his own death, it would be to die in battle for Narnia.

They had a few hours to prepare before setting off. They restocked and repaired their weapons and armour. Digory handed Fareen a bow and arrow.

"Do you know how to use it?" he asked her.

"Not really," she said, "I can use a crossbow, though."

"Hold on," Polly called, "I think I saw one of those somewhere." She looked around in circles, trying to find it.

"I think we'll leave the searching to those with better eyesight, shall we?" Lucy handed Polly a bow and arrow and sat her down on a nearby chair. She ran around a corner and came back with a rather large crossbow.

"It might be a bit large," Lucy said apologetically.

"I can fix that," Bridget said, taking the weapon from Lucy's hands. She closed her eyes, and slowly the crossbow started to shrink until it was about the right size for Fareen. Everyone else looked at her, dumbfounded.

"Wow, Bridget," Eustace said, "You didn't even doubt yourself this time."

"Shut up, Scrubb," Jill said. She looked back at Bridget, "Bridget, you've gotten so much better with your magic!"

"Well, I have had a thousand years to practice," Bridget said, "Give or take a few centuries."

"That was amazing!" Edmund said.

"I'm glad you think so." Bridget handed the crossbow to Fareen, "I believe this is yours, now."

"Th-thanks," said Fareen, still a little speechless from the previous incident. She took the bow carefully, as if it was a dangerous item that would explode any minute. Bridget smiled.

"It's just a normal crossbow," she said kindly, "Works like a charm."

Fareen nodded, and walked away with her crossbow. Poggin jumped to his feet.

"Where are you going?" he called, "I'll come with you."

"No, Poggin," Digory said, holding the midget back and pushing him in the opposite direction to where Fareen had gone, "You're going to help Puzzle get in the lion-skin."

"If you say so," Poggin groaned, and went outside to find Puzzle. Bridget followed him.

"What do you want?" Poggin asked, bored.

"I was going to ready Selene," Bridget said, eyebrows raised, "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, course not," Poggin sighed. By this time they had reached the stable. Bridget took Selene off, mounted onto her back, and rode off into the distance. After a few seconds Edmund ran up to Poggin.

"Have you seen Bridget?" he asked.

Poggin pointed to the direction in which she left.

"She said she wouldn't leave without me," Edmund murmured. He thanked Poggin, got on Phillip and rode off after Bridget.

"Kids these days," Poggin said to himself, "Never slow down, do they?"

Lucy was out practising her archery with Jill. Tirian walked up to them.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"You can do archery?" Lucy asked. Tirian lifted up his crossbow.

"I'm sorry about that whole thing with Fareen," Tirian said, "Even though it wasn't really anything."

"It's alright," Lucy said, "I'm used to it."

"You don't seem alright."

"I wasn't. But I am now."

"That's good."

Lucy and Tirian smiled at each other for a while. For a long while. Jill cleared her throat.

"Oh," Lucy said, "Sorry, Jill."

"It doesn't matter," Jill said, "Just remember that I'm still here, please."

Tirian stood on the other side of Jill, and used his crossbow to shoot at faraway branches. Lucy and Jill discovered that he was really talented with it.

"You're just like Bridget," Jill said, "You can master any weapon."

"Is she like that?" Tirian asked.

"She's amazing. Last time we met, she wasn't very strong with her magic, but in combat she was deadly."

"She's the role model for all soldiers," Lucy added, "Or so Eustace said."

"I don't know about that. But he's probably right."

"Good to know," Tirian nodded, "We need people like that on our team."

Fareen ran up to them, "Can I practice too?"

"Of course," Lucy smiled. Fareen was a little puzzled that Lucy was being so nice to her, but she joined in anyway. After all, being nice to someone couldn't possible be a bad thing.

Night came quickly. The troop marched silently to Stable Hill and hid in the trees nearby. There were a few hours till midnight yet, so everyone sat there, waiting in groups of two. Jill was with Bridget, Polly with Eustace, Digory with Edmund, Poggin with Puzzle, Lucy with Tirian, and Peter, surprisingly, with Fareen. Jill and Eustace slept for a while, being the youngest in the group, but the others did not allow themselves that luxury. Soon, they heard the sound of a gong being beaten at a steady rhythm.

"Kiss me, Lucy," Tirian said, "For surely this is our last night in this world."

"Farewell," Lucy said, and they kissed.

"Is this really the time?" Edmund said, tying Phillip to a tree and pushing past them. He bent down next to Jill, helping her perfect Puzzle's lion-skin. Then Poggin creeped slowly into the night, leading Puzzle to the place where Jewel was once tied up behind the Stable.

"A-are you going to tie me up here?" Puzzle asked.

"Don't worry," Poggin said, "No one's tying you up. You've just got to stay here, is all."

"All alone?"

"We'll come and get you," Poggin said, not unkindly, "Now stay silent, alright?"

"A-alright, Poggin."

Poggin patted the donkey on the back and sneaked back towards the others. When he got halfway there, he made sure he was out of sight, and the route was completely safe, and then he gestured for the others to come. The troop took up their position at one end of the Stable, still hidden from sight. Out the front of the Stable, the bonfire started to blaze menacingly. Tirian could see various animals gathered around it by the light of the fire, all huddling with each other for warmth. From the left, three figures appeared. One was Rishda Tarkaan, the Calormene captain.

"I know him!" Fareen whispered, "He was the one with the highest bid for me before I escaped!"

"Highest bid!" Peter exclaimed, almost giving them away. Lucy slapped his arm and hushed him.

The second figure was the Ape. He seemed to be complaining about how much his head was hurting and how Ape's weren't made for staying awake at midnight. The third figure stood on the other side of the Ape, walking stately and softly, with his tail held high.

"Ginger the Cat," Poggin said in disgust.

The trio were walking so close to the friends that they might have seen them if they looked in the right direction. But they did not. Instead, Rishda Tarkaan was whispering to Ginger in a low voice, "Make sure you play your part well. It won't work otherwise."

"You can count on me," Ginger said haughtily. She strutted down to the other side of the bonfire and sat down further in front of the animals. Rishda Tarkaan and the Ape strode out in front the crowd, much like an actor does when he strides out on stage. In fact, the more Eustace watched the action, the more it seemed like one of those soppy plays they show at the West End down in London.

"Now, Monkey," Rishda Tarkaan whispered in a low voice, shoving him forward.

"Oh, leave me alone, why don't you?" The Ape complained, but he straightened himself up and addressed his audience. "A terrible thing has happened," he said, his previous haughty roar that Tirian remembered transformed into a drunken slur, "And Aslan -"

"Tashlan," Rishda growled.

"Yes, Tashlan is very angry about about it."

"Tashlan?" Eustace whispered, "What on Earth is that?"

"It's a combination of their names," Digory said, the realisation dawning upon him, "Tash and Aslan. I think … I think what they're saying is that they're the same person."

"That's outrageous!" Tirian almost cried, "They can't compare Aslan to that thing!"

"Tash is a God," Peter said, looking at Fareen from the corner of his eye. He could tell she wasn't happy with Tirian calling Tash a 'thing'. "No matter how imposing he may be, we shouldn't judge him so harshly."

"Wow," Edmund said, "That's amazing. Peter's thinking about someone else for once? You've really out done yourself this time."

Bridget groaned. "This is not the time for useless banter!"

The Ape started to speak again. "At this very moment, there is an imposter among us, a wicked beast who has chosen to do what you'd think no one would do even if the Terrible one was a thousand miles away."

"An imposter?" Jill whispered.

"A donkey has chosen to dress himself up in a lion-skin and he is roaming about these very woods claiming to be Aslan himself."

The troop looked at each other in horror. The damned Ape had mixed a little truth into a huge lie, and he used it to con the whole of Narnia. They looked back at the animals. They were shouting in rage, declaring that they would rip the Ass to pieces when they see him.

"He's taken the wind out of our sails," Polly said.

"I bet that Ginger thought of it," Poggin said belligerently, "Cursed, cursed cleverness."

"Puzzle can't be caught in that," Jewel said, "Not now. We have to get it off him."

Lucy, who was closest to Puzzle, nodded, and went to the place where Puzzle was tied and quietly cut off his bonds and lion-skin.  
"Already?" Puzzle asked.

"We've made some changes to the plan," Lucy explained, "We've had to improvise."

She led Puzzle to where the others were. They sat silently and watched as the Ape spoke more.

"Tashlan says he's been good to you all, coming out every night for you to see. And this is how he gets repaid? He's refused to come out now."

The animals started whining and complaining, but they stopped when they heard a loud laugh.

"Don' listen to 'im," the voice said, "He never had anything except an old donkey with a lion-skin on his back. And now he's lost that too."

"That's Griffle!" Poggin exclaimed.

"Silence!" Rishda roared, "Silence, child of mud. Unless you want me to set my warriors on you."

"He's just as bad as my brother!" Fareen said disapprovingly, "To think I could have been married to him."

"Just because I said Tashlan wasn't going to come out any more, doesn't mean there's no _real_ Tashlan in the Stable. And anyone who wants to see him can see him, too."

"But I don't understand," a beast said, "You said that -"

"I know what I said!" the Ape burst out, "I said Aslan isn't coming out. You need to go in and see him."

The animals cheered and cried their thanks to Tashlan. Many started to rush towards the stable. Rishda Tarkaan pulled out his sword and boomed out, "STOP!"

Every beast stopped what they were doing.

"Not so fast," the Ape said, "One at a time. And I'd be careful if I were you. That wicked King he swallowed up a few nights ago gave him a taste for flesh. He's been growling ever since. So, who'll go first? How about you, dwarf?"

"Right," Griffle said, "You'll get me killed. How do I know what you've got in there, then?"

"Oh, so now there is something in there, is it?" the Ape jeered.

"What do you think is in there?" Eustace whispered.

"Probably Calormen soldiers, waiting to attack," Bridget said.

"You don't think it could be … you know."

"Tash? I don't know."

"Tash would not fall prey to the working of Rishda Tarkaan," Fareen said, "He can be vengeful, but never evil."

"The soldiers then," Peter agreed. He pointed at the bonfire. "Look, Ginger is walking towards the Ape."

"I'll do it, if you like," Ginger said craftily.

"The cat's in it," Poggin whispered, "You heard what he said to the captain: 'You can count on me'."

"Let's watch," Tirian said.

"You are brave, Puss," the Ape teased, "I'll open the door for you. Don't blame me if he scared the whiskers out of you."

The Cat tread primly towards the Stable as if it had not a care in the world. It's sleek coat shone in the light of the bonfire, and it didn't blink even once. He put up his paw and unbolted the door, opened it and walked into the dark doorway until he was out of sight. Almost immediately, a terrible shriek came from the Stable and out of it came Ginger, flying through the sky and nearly knocking the Ape off balance. He dashed up a tree and stayed there, every hair on his coat standing up on its end.

"I'd give my beard to know if that Cat was actually frightened or just putting on a show," Poggin said, amazed.

"What have you seen?" the Calormene captain asked Ginger, a puzzled look on his face. He obviously couldn't tell if Ginger was being serious either. The cat just wailed in reply, making the type of noise you wouldn't expect from an intelligent Talking Beast.

"It's forgotten how to speak," a Bear said, astounded. The other beasts murmured their agreement. Ginger looked at them with a wild look in his eyes, wailed once more, and disappeared up the tree. He was never seen again.

"Sir," a clear ringing voice said, walking up to Rishda Tarkaan. It was a young Calormene officer, tall and slender, looking fierce in the fire's light. "I also desire to go into the Stable."

Rishda looked at him as if he were mad. "Who gave you permission to speak, Emeth?"

"I am younger than you," Emeth appealed, "Stronger. But I, too, am a servant of Tash."

"Silence, boy!" Rishda said, "You have nothing to do with it."

"You yourself have said that Aslan and Tash are one. If that is true, then Tash is on the other side of that door. How can you say I have nothing to do with him?"

"You don't understand, fool! These are high matters."

"Then are you saying that Aslan and Tash aren't the same? Has the Ape been lying to us?"

A low mussitation of conversation started among the animals.

"Of course they're all one!" The Ape slurred.

"Swear it, Ape," Emeth snarled.

"Alright," the Ape groaned, "I swear it. Happy?"

"Then I will go in," Emeth said, a determined and triumphant look on his face. Edmund liked him instantly.

"Fool," Rishda muttered.

"Go on, then," Griffle shouted, only making Rishda's problem worse. "Why don't you let him in?"

"Why do you let the Narnians in and not your own folk?"

"What's in there that you don't want them to meet?"

One by one, the dwarves started shouting at the Calormene captain.

"Alright!" he thundered, "Go in! But don't come crying out for me later."

Emeth smiled at Rishda, and walked confidently up to the Stable. The door had mysteriously bolted itself after ginger left, so he unbolted it and walked in, eyes shining and face solemn. He closed the door after him, and all was silent for a long moment. Then the door opened, and a corpse came rolling out of it. Rishda walked up to the body, and when he saw who it was his whole face went white, but only for an instant. He stood up and faced the crowd.

"The boy is dead," he proclaimed, "He has looked on Tash and paid the price. Let this be a warning to all of you."

The poor beasts whimpered their submission. But hidden from the rest, Edmund was staring at the face of the dead Calormene. This wasn't Emeth. He was older, thicker and with a large beard.

"So," the Ape chuckled hysterically, "Who's next?" After a moment's silence, "No volunteers? I'll choose someone for you, then. How about you, Boar?"

"I'd like to see you try," the Boar said bravely, readying his tusks to try and intimidate the Ape. Two Calormene soldiers started to move towards the Ape. When Bridget saw what was going to happen, she turned to the Tirian.

"It's time," she told him.

"Get ready," he whispered to the others, "Follow me."

The next moment, the Narnian crowd saw a large group leap out from behind the Stable, all the humans dressed in chain mail, swords drawn and arrows on string. One rode in front of the others.

"I am Tirian, King of Narnia," he roared, "And in Aslan's name, I am here to prove with my body that the Ape is a manifold traitor and that Calormene captain worthy of death. Come to my side, all true Narnians. Or are you going to wait till you all get killed, one by one?"


	15. The Pace Quickens

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: _The Pace Quickens_

Rishda Tarkaan drew his scimitar as quick as lightning. Then he rushed to the crowd and called out to the Narnians.

"Help me!" he cried, "Or else feel the wrath of Tashlan!"

"Quick!" Poggin said, "Open the door!"

Digory was closest to the Stable, and he unbolted the door. Edmund caught the Ape by his collar and dragged him to the Stable door.

"Go and drink your own medicine, Shift," he said, before hurling the Ape into the darkness. Digory banged the door shut, but before he did, a menacing greenish-blue light shone from inside, and the Earth beneath him started to vibrate.

"Does anyone feel that?" he asked.

"Listen!" Lucy yelled.

A terrifying scream came from the Stable. When the scream stopped, the light died away and the ground stopped moving. At that moment, Jill noticed Rishda Tarkaan's face. His eyes looked delirious, and he seemed to be bordering on insane. Jill realised he was more surprised and frightened than everyone else was.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," Jill tugged at Fareen sleeve, "Look at Tarkaan's face."

Fareen looked, and she saw that Jill was right. At that moment, every Talking Dog in the crowd started bounding over to the King.

"We'll join you," one of the dogs said, "Just tell us what to do."

They were followed by a large Bear and the Boar who was about to be attacked. They were a large group of animals, but Peter saw they were still not enough.

"What's wrong with you?" he called to the other beasts, "Have you all turned yellow?"

"We daren't," a Hedgehog whispered, "Tashlan would be angry."

"We won't fight," a mouse whimpered, "But we can help."

"Why aren't there any mice like Reepicheep around any more?" Lucy groaned, "Tell us, where are the Talking Horses?"

"They have all been put to work," a mice said, "They're tied up at the bottom of the hill."

"Then go get them," Lucy ordered.

"With good will, miss," they said, and scampered away.

"At least they helped," Eustace said.

Most of the others were preoccupied in battle with various Calormene soldiers and even the occasional Narnian. Rishda was shouting orders at the crowd as they fought.

"Grab them!" he growled, "Throw them into the Stable! They shall be our offering to Tash!"

"Oh no you don't," Peter snapped, and raised his sword onto Rishda.

Jill watched Peter and Rishda fight, praying hard for Peter's life.

"On you left!" Polly called to her, "Get onto your left!" Jill moved to her left, just in time to see a Calormene soldier fall onto the spot where she stood before, dagger drawn and pointed. Jill sighed with relief and got to work making shooting arrows at the enemy.

Polly seemed as energetic as any of the younger ones, shooting arrows at anyone moving close to her, and stabbing anyone who managed to dodge them. After a while, she was surrounded by twenty or so Calormene, and their was nothing she could do to stop them, not with just a bow and arrow.

"Miss Plummer, your bell!" Lucy screamed. Polly carefully took the bell that Bridget had given her out of it's sack and held it up for every soldier around her to see. They stopped moving towards her and looked at it, a little confused as to why this strange Narnian woman was showing them a bell in the middle of a battle. Then she rang in, and every being on the hill cried out in pain. Most of the Friends recovered from it quickly having heard the sound before.

"Great timing," Bridget puffed, and stabbed her sword into the back of her own opposition, who was hunched over in pain. She looked around her and saw Edmund in trouble, near losing in a sword fight against a tough Calormene officer. Bridget pulled a dagger out of her sleeve and sent it flying to the air to meet its target, and it did, piercing the officer square in the middle of his chest. Edmund looked towards the source of the dagger and gave Bridget a grateful smile, and then noticed a Talking Cat (not Ginger) sneaking up behind her, his mouth curled into a threatening snarl.

"Watch out!" he yelled, and Bridget turned around and skilfully disposed of her opponent. Edmund saw that he had his own troubles to sort out as another soldier came running towards him, and he lifted his sword to greet him.

Eustace's heart was beating hard. He really hated battles and the way it made his blood boil. He watched as the expressionless faces of twenty Calormene soldiers walked towards him. Something Fareen once said rang through his mind: "_They're just following orders. They don't necessarily want to do whatever they do._"Then he remembered the bracelet. He took it out and put it on, wishing hard that it was going to help him during the battle. Sure enough, it made him feel as he did when he put it on a few days ago: strong, confident, and a little invincible. He fought back the Calormenes easily, without a single doubt going through his head.

"Retreat!" Rishda Tarkaan yelled to his soldiers and the few Narnians who were actually fighting for him. He had managed to get Peter to be distracted by another soldier, and had escaped quietly. "Fall back!"

There were losses on both sides. Many Calormene soldiers lay dead on the ground along with the Talking Cat that Bridget had slain and a Wolf. But the Friends had also lost three of the Dogs and the Bear. On the plus side, while they were fighting, they were joined by a Fox and another Wolf.

As the defeated Calormen army walked back to their captain, the Dwarves started to jeer.

"Had enough, have you?" they teased, "Old Tarkaan too afraid to fight, is he?"

A drum boomed in answer. Fareen knew the sound well.

"It is a Calormene drum," she said, "More troops are coming."

Tirian gazed around him desperately. The crowd was much smaller now. Many must have left when they had the chance, and the probably never intended to come back. Then, another sound started joined in the mix

"The Talking Horses!" Edmund and Bridget cried in delight, and ran to greet them. But they didn't get far, when one by one the horses started to fall dead as they ran. The were being shot at with arrows, and the arrows were coming from the Dwarves. It was a small secret that the dwarves were deadly archers.

"Filthy swines!" Eustace hollered, "Dirty, treacherous little pieces of …"

"Eustace!" Polly said in alarm.

"Dirt! I was going to say dirt!"

"It's no use wasting your time on them," Edmund said, walking back to the others dolefully. Bridget stared at the ground. They both shared a love for equines, and they would have loved to work with the Talking Horses if they came.

"You thought we were on your side, did ya?" Griffle asked, "Well, you thought wrong, sonny. We don't want your gang any more than the others. Dwarves are for dwarves."

Rishda was still talking to his men, doubtless making arrangements for the next attack.

"Listen," Peter said, "We have to attack now, while they're still adjusting to the situation."

"The soldiers are trained to be aware of everything," Fareen said, "They will have us at sword-point the moment we start moving towards them."

"We'll be surrounded," Poggin said, "The Stable's behind us and the Calormenes will be in front of us. We'll have nowhere to go."

"The further away we are from the Stable, the better," Digory said.

"He's right," Bridget said, "That bolt doesn't look very secure to me."

"We should get away from it at all costs," Tirian agreed.

They strode towards the Calormenes. One of the soldiers noticed them, and alerted Rishda. Rishda saw them and started to make frantic gestures to the men around him. Some of them drew their scimitars and started moving towards the group, while others retreated and went the other way. The group fought a small but hard battle against the soldiers. They were winning, until they heard the sound of marching. It was getting louder with every second, and soon, over the hill, they could see an enormous regiment of Calormene troops moving towards them. And these ones had spears.

Edmund noticed a large white rock on the left of the Stable.

"Quick," he told everyone, "We have to get to that rock!"

They all ran to the large white rock and watched in horror as the enemy reinforced itself.


	16. Through the Stable Door

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: _Through the Stable Door_

Peter counted the heads in his group and noticed that there was one less.

"Who's missing?" he asked. They looked around.

"Scrubb!" Jill noticed immediately.

"Oh no," Bridget muttered, pointing at the Stable. They looking to where she was pointing and noticed a few Calormenes carrying something that was kicking and struggling. Eustace.

"We have to get him back!" Jill cried.

"And we will," Tirian assured, rushing out with Jewel towards the Stable Door. But he wasn't even half way there when the Calormenes threw Eustace into Stable and shut the door behind him. Then they made a large formation between Tirian and the door so he could not get through. He was forced to retreat.

As soon as he got back, Lucy cried, "Arrows! Duck!"

Everyone sucked behind the rock as various arrows flew past them. Poggin picked one up.

"The dwarves again," he said.

The dwarves then started shooting at the Calormenes.

"We don't want no Calormenes or Monkeys, or Kings or Lions," Griffle shouted, "The dwarves are for dwarves!"

But what the dwarves didn't realise is that the Calormenes had chain mail protection, and the dwarves did not.

"You lot!" Rishda Tarkaan called to some soldiers, "Go keep watch on those fools behind that rock. The rest of you come with me. It's time those mud-men learnt their lesson."

The Friends stood up behind the rock, feeling safe now that the Calormenes were now pre-occupied with something else. The fire seemed to have died down and was now dark red, and there was no one around except for the Calormenes and the dwarves. They couldn't see that well because of the lack of light from the fire, but they could tell that the Calormenes and the dwarves were fighting. Whatever fight it was, it didn't last so long, and soon eleven dwarves were brought up to the Stable.

"Throw them into the shrine of Tash," Rishda said.

The Calormene soldiers obeyed. They opened the door to the Stable and tossed them in.

"I think we're going to be next soon," Fareen said, "I don't know why, but something tells me we are going to go through those doors before morning."

"I'd rather have sunk with the Titanic," Edmund muttered. Peter patted his shoulder.

"Does it really have to end like this?" Jill asked.

"We may have no choice," Bridget said, as she watched Rishda Tarkaan walk towards them with a large smirk on his face, the type that would make someone want to punch him.

"Surrender now," Rishda said, "And I might let the animals live. I'll keep the Fox and the Boar in a cage in the Tisroc's garden. The Dogs and the Wolf will hunt for the Tisroc's dinner. And once I saw the Unicorn's horn off, I will put him to work with the others horses. But you, King of Narnia, and your small army, will have to go through that door."

The animals growled in response.

"As you wish," Rishda said simply, and drew his sword. The Friends drew theirs and rushed out at him, but before they could reach him, a dozen soldiers popped out in front of him while he escaped behind them. They fought hard, but it was all in vain, because every time they brought one Calormene down, another came and took his place. And this time with a spear. They were soon outnumbered. Out of the corner of her eye, Bridget saw a Calormene dragging Jill by her hair and pushing her up against the stable wall.

"No!" she cried, and raced up to the Calormene swinging her sword wildly. She managed to get rid of him, but a nearby soldier took Jill away and threw her into the door.

"JILL!" Bridget screamed, and knelt to the ground. Edmund saw her and quickly pulled her up to her feet.

"Jill will be fine," he said, "Worry about your own life now." At that exact moment, a big, burly Calormene picked Edmund up and flung him through the Stable door.

"Edmund!" Bridget sobbed. Then she wiped her tears and laughed hysterically. Now she had nothing to lose. She brought a dagger out from her sleeve and walked slowly towards the big, burly man, a wide grin on her face.

Fareen fought like she had been at war all her life. She twisted and turned, waving her crossbow around dangerously. She remembered the words of her old archery instructor: _War is like a dance_. And she danced, alright. One by one, the soldiers dropped dead around her. But others kept coming, and in greater numbers too. Suddenly, she felt a sharp, stabbing pain at the back of her shoulder. She stopped moving, and everything around her seemed to fade.

"Fareen!" she could hear a male voice shouting. She felt herself being lifted into the air, and she could make out a blonde head looking down at her.

"Fareen?" he asked, his voice distant, "Say something? Please?"

She lifted her hand weakly and stroked his cheek. When she withdrew her hand, her fingers were wet, probably with tears or blood.

"Goodbye Peter," she said softly, and everything went blank.

Tirian wasn't really looking around him. He just swung his sword and followed his instinct. From the corners of his eyes, he could see Bridget trying to fight a large bulky soldier and failing. She was thrown into the Stable just like Eustace, Jill and Edmund before her. He saw Digory and Polly being pushed in together. Fareen was shot by a Calormene arrow. Peter ran to her, and they were both pushed into the stable soon after, along with Puzzle. The Boar, Fox, Wolf, and Dogs all lay dead around him. Only he, Jewel and Lucy were left. Everyone else was gone.

He was focused on his own fight and just keeping alive, until he saw what was happening to Lucy. Rishda Tarkaan grabbed at her sleeve, but she pulled her arm away and the sleeve ripped off. Then Rishda grabbed her arm again, this time without the sleeve. She raised his hand to her mouth and bit it hard. He cried out in pain and pushed her into the Stable. Tirian had had enough. He stabbed into the soldier he was fighting and ran towards Rishda Tarkaan. He lunged at him deliriously, but Rishda was too strong for him. Soon, both his hands were bound behind his back, and he was carried towards the door of the Stable. He could see Jewel being dragged by both the horn and the mane. Jewel was pushed in before him, and Tirian heard a loud terrifying scream, and the glow of the sinister greenish-blue light feel upon him.

"May I have the honour of pushing you in myself?" Rishda whispered in Tirian's ear. This gave Tirian an idea.

"If I'm going to go in," Tirian said, "Then you're coming with me."

He grabbed Rishda by the collar and dragged him along into the greenish-blue light.

They found themselves in a large dark space, and standing in front of them, was a tall, hooded creature that seemed to be floating on air.

"T-T-Tash!" Rishda spluttered.

"You have called me into Narnia, Rishda Tarkaan," he said. His voice was loud, deep and divine. "What do you have to say?"

Rishda Tarkaan said nothing. Instead, he sat there, shaking like a miserable worm with a hiccup.

"I didn't think so," Tash boomed. He then pounced onto to Rishda, and Tash, Rishda and the dark space were gone.

Instead, he was in another dark place, this time a forest. And he was surrounded by all his friends from the other side of the Stable door, all healthy, well, and happy.

"What -" Tirian started to say.

Lucy laughed and pecked at his cheek. "We're safe, silly!" she said, "The door wasn't so bad, after all."

"But what happened to Tash?" Tirian asked.

"Tash? You saw him?" Fareen asked. She didn't seem like she'd been wounded at all.

"Didn't you?"

"None of us did," Peter said, confused.

"He got rid of Rishda Tarkaan. I don't know where they went."

"I told you he was vengeful, not evil," Fareen said.

"Look," Lucy pointed, "The sunset."

Tirian looked towards where Lucy was pointing and saw a half a sun. It looked a lot like the sunset in Narnia, though he knew they couldn't possibly be in Narnia.

"Apples," Bridget exclaimed. She took one off a tree and bit into it.

"I remember now," Eustace said, "You love apples, don't you?"

"Yes," Bridget grinned at Jill, "Indeed I do."

And it was just then that Tirian noticed how queer this whole adventure was.

They explored a little around the area and found a door. It was standing in the middle of a hill and led to nothing.

"This must've been the door we came through," Edmund said. Jill peeped through it and found nothing but blackness. Then, after her eyes adjusted, she saw a fire and various Calormene soldiers sitting around it. Some sang merry songs and rejoiced, while most of the others sat their solemnly.

"Calormenes," she said sadly. They moved on, away from the door and found another small fire, this time in the same country they were in, and surrounded by dwarves.

"Hey!" Edmund called to them, "Over here!"

The dwarves turned and looked at Edmund and the group.

"What do you want?" one grumbled.

"Do you know where we are?"

"No," he said, "Those Calormenes threw us in the Stable and we ended up here. What's happened back in Narnia?"

"The Calormenes have taken over," Lucy said, sadly.

"They threw us all in," Tirian continued, "But I managed to pull that Calormene captain in with me. He's dead now. Tash got rid of him."

"So Tash is real, is he?" a dwarf asked, "Now you believe them?"

"Tash is real," Fareen said, "But he is not the same as Aslan."

"And you expect us to believe all this crap? Dwarves are for dwarves."

"Not this again!" Eustace moaned.

"Where's Griffle?" Poggin asked. The dwarves glared at him.

"Look, lads," one of them said, "It's the traitor."

"Griffle's dead," said another flatly, "Killed by them Calormenes."

"And we don't need no leaders, if that's what you're wonderin'" the first dwarf said, "Dwarves are for dwarves."

"You heard 'im,"

"Let's go," Peter said, "This lot aren't worth our trouble."

The group left them and started walking in the opposite direction. The sun was still setting, and it was the longest sunset Peter had ever seen. After a while, Lucy gasped.

"What is it?" Peter asked.

"Aslan!" she cried, and ran up to a large lion with a gleaming golden coat. Peter hadn't seen him there before, but he didn't ponder about it too long as he also ran up along with most of the others to greet him. The only people who stayed behind were Tirian, Poggin, Fareen, Puzzle and Bridget.

After he met those who had come up to him, he went up to Poggin.

"Son of earth," he said, "It takes a lot of courage to stand up to your friends."

"Thank you, sire," Poggin said, looking at the ground.

Aslan looked at Tirian.

"S-s-sir," Tirian stammered. Aslan laughed.

"You do not need to be afraid of me, King Tirian," he said, "You have tried your best. But what's done is done." He then turned to Puzzle, who was shaking and shivering, afraid of what the Great Lion would do to him.

"So you're the one who started all this mess," Aslan said.

"It wasn't m-me, oh Great Lion," Puzzle whimpered, "I swear, it was Shift."

"I know, Puzzle," Aslan said kindly, "I know all about it. But maybe next time, you should start thinking things through, rather than moan about how dull you are."

"I p-promise, oh Great Lion," he bowed.

"You may call me Aslan."

"Alright, oh … erm, Aslan."

Aslan nodded and turned to Fareen. "You are a follower of Tash."

"Yes," she said, "If that is a problem to you, then I am sorry." She lowered her head. "But I do not believe that Tash is a monster."

"And neither do I, Calormene," Aslan said. Fareen could feel the warmth of understanding in his voice. "Tash is not my enemy. Far from it, in fact. Tash and I are like two siblings, and one cannot exist without the other. Tash is justice, and I am forgiveness."

"So," Fareen said, "You do not hate him?"

"No. He does get a little carried away with his vengeance sometimes, but I am always there to keep him in line. And he for me, when I am too soft in my decisions."

"Well," said Peter, "That's something new."

Aslan chuckled and looked at Bridget. "You have done well, Bridget."

"Thank you," Bridget said. Then her lips sprang into a smile and she threw her arms around the Lion.

"Dad!" she exclaimed like she had been waiting to do this for a long time.

"You really have grown, my dear," Aslan said, laughing, "And changed too."

Bridget pushed herself out of her embrace, still smiling. She really had changed, from the quiet, anti-social girl with her head in the clouds to a warrior, focused and determined.

"Aslan," Lucy asked, "Why didn't you tell us about her before?"

"I think she told you already," Aslan said simply, "I never felt the need to." And he left it at that.

"What's going to happen now?" Jill asked. The sunset seemed to have sped up, and she could actually see the sun moving downwards below the horizon. It was as if it was waiting for Aslan to arrive.

"Now," Aslan said, sitting down, "We wait."

Everyone sat down next to Aslan and watched the sun go down. It happened very quickly, and in no time it was completely dark except for the light that fell from the stars.

"Night falls on Narnia," Aslan said.

"And Narnia is no more," Bridget said sadly. Jill started to sob, and Eustace put his arms around her to comfort her. Their world was finally gone.


	17. A World Within a World

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: _A World Within a World_

"Don't cry, Jill," Aslan said, putting his paw on her shoulder, "All isn't lost yet."

She looked up at him questioningly. In answer, Aslan looked up at the sky and roared the loudest roar anyone could imagine. To anyone else it would have been deafening, but to the Friends of Narnia it was a sound so sweet that no musical instrument in any world could match it. And it was better still, because as he roared everything around began to light up. It was as if the sun had risen again, but there was no visible sun in the sky. The sky was as blue as it was in Narnia, and the grass just as green. Small, yellow spring flowers started to sprout from the ground, and large fir and beech trees grew around them. Their clothes changed from their dirty armour to the most beautiful and comfortable Narnian clothes you could ever imagine.

"Digory!" Polly exclaimed, "Look at you!"

"Look at yourself," Digory said, a little amazed. For they were both the pretty young things that they used to be.

When the group looked behind them, there was the edge of a cliff, and below it a small beach with a bright blue sea.

"It's just like at Cair Paravel," Lucy breathed.

"It is Cair Paravel," Aslan said. He had stopped roaring. "And we are in Narnia."

"But how can that be?" Peter asked. He clutched Fareen's hand in his. "We just left Narnia behind. And Bridget said it was no more."

"You did leave Narnia behind," Aslan told him, "But this is the real Narnia. A Narnia within a Narnia."

"It's like the wardrobe," Edmund realised, "The inside was bigger than the outside. The Stable's just like it."

"Well observed, Edmund," Aslan said, "You are right. We are in a world within a world. And this one is even better than the one outside it." He looked at Bridget. "Remember what I taught you about buildings?"

"How to make new ones?" Bridget asked, "I wasn't very good at that."

"This time, I know you can do it." He laid his paw on her back.

Bridget took her bow and readied her arrow. "Which tree?" she asked.

"That one," Aslan said, pointing to a large oak tree that suddenly appeared on the edge of the cliff. Bridget took a deep breath.

"You'll be fine," Aslan assured her, "I'm here, remember?"

Bridget nodded. She drew her bowstring and released the arrow. It soared through the air and landed smack-bang in the middle of the oak's trunk. But the arrow didn't stop there. It sank into the trunk, and eventually it disappeared. Instead, white marble started to creep around the tree from where the arrow was. The marble soon spread all around them, creating pillars where there were trees and a floor where there used to be grass. Soon, they all found themselves in the throne room at Cair Paravel, looking exactly like it did on the day of the coronation of the Pevensies.

Everyone looked around them in awe, and after a moment's silence, Eustace walked up to Bridget and clapped her at the back.

"That's even better than the crossbow trick," Eustace said.

"I'm proud of you, my child," Aslan said. Bridget beamed, and for a moment her face transformed into that of a young girl's. It was a face she hadn't worn in more than ten years, and it felt good.

"Come outside with me, everyone," Aslan announced, "There are people I want you to meet."

Everyone followed him outside the castle to a large field. Waiting on the field were various familiar faces.

"Reepicheep!" Eustace cried. For there he was, standing and waiting to meet them.

"Your Majesties," he said, and walked towards them with his arms open, "I am so glad to see you once more."

"Did you manage to get to the end of the world?" Edmund asked.

"The end and back, King Edmund," Reepicheep said, "And I have so many stories to tell."

Tirian watched their happy reunion, wishing there was a familiar face he could turn to. He felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned around to find a large kingly man smiling down at him.

"You've grown," he said, and Tirian hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"Father, I've missed you," he said.

"And so have I."

Edmund watched as Tirian talked with his father, but soon his gaze started to drift towards Bridget. She was hugging a woman he had seen before, and at closer inspection he saw that it was Bridget's mother, Rifle Woman, or Penelope, as she had said her name was. He didn't see the older woman, Bridget's grandmother, anywhere. He then saw Fareen walking up to a middle-aged man dressed in Calormene armour with a crown atop his head. Her father, the previous Tisroc.

"Mr. Tumnus!" Lucy shouted out, waving her arms frantically.

"Ow, don't scream in my ear," Edmund complained.

"I'm sorry, Edmund. It's just that I'm so excited. I haven't these people in years!"

Edmund smiled. He knew how Lucy felt because he himself hadn't seen anyone of these people in years, so he kept quiet and didn't complain about Lucy being too loud again.

Eustace and Jill looked around for someone they knew. Digory and Polly had found their friends from the beginning of Narnia, and the Pevensies were with the infamous Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers. Bridget soon left her mother and joined them in their search.

"Looking for me, were you?" a grim voice asked behind them.

The three of them turned around to find a tall, gloomy marsh-wiggle slouching in front of them. Jill hugged him.

"Still haven't learnt to cheer up, Puddleglum?" Eustace asked.

"No," Puddleglum said, "But I see she has." He pointed at Bridget, who was still beaming.

"Maybe you should learn to cheer up too," Bridget said teasingly.

"I want to stay the way I am. I don't like it, but I have no choice, do I?" His tone was very depressing, but it was a tone they all had grown to love over time.

"Bridget," said another voice, this one clearer and more princely than Puddleglum's. Rilian walked up next to Puddleglum. "You are more beautiful than ever before."

"Rilian," Bridget gulped. Jill and Eustace started snickering, not unnoticed by Rilian.

"Alright, you two," Rilian said, "I get it. Bridget gave me the message the first time. I'm not going to try and woo her again. Besides, I have my own family now." A tall, dainty woman and a dashing young man who was a carbon copy of Rilian appeared next to him.

"So you aren't going to ask for my hand in marriage, or something?" Bridget asked warily.

"No," he laughed, "I told you, I learnt my lesson. You were right, it was infatuation, not love." He put his arm around the woman next to him. Bridget realised that she knew that woman. She was Rilian's wife, Queen Lordelinia. And the boy next to her was Rilian's son, Darian. Bridget always thought he had just married Lordelinia for the sake of producing an heir, but now she could see that she was wrong. He married her because he loved her. Bridget let out a long sigh of relief.

"I'm glad you finally found someone," she said, and she meant it. Rilian smiled.

"I'm sorry I put you through all that before," he said, "I never realised that you would be annoyed when I called you 'Oh gorgeous maiden'. I was truly an idiot, wasn't I?"

"Yes," Bridget grinned "You truly were an idiot."

After they had finished meeting everyone, Lucy, Edmund, Peter, Jill, Eustace, Digory and Polly went up to Aslan.

"We're going to leave soon, aren't we?" Jill asked sadly.

"Leave for where?" Aslan asked.

"Back to earth," Lucy said, "This adventure is over. You always send us back after an adventure."

"Not this time, dear one," he said. Peter looked at him quizzically.

"We're not going back?" he asked, "How come?"

"Edmund will tell you," Aslan said. Everyone turned to Edmund. He gulped and looked down at the ground, avoiding their eyes. Bridget was right. He would know when the time comes.

"You remember that time when Bridget and I went missing for an hour?" he told them.

"Yeah," Peter grinned suggestively, "Had a good time?"

"What?" Edmund asked, "No! I didn't … we didn't … no!"

"Leave him alone, Peter," Polly said. Then she looked at Edmund. "Continue."

"Well, I was looking for her. Then I saw this mirror in the middle of the woods. I think I must have tripped over a branch or something, because I fell through it. And I ended up in England."

"England!" Peter said, "You never told us!"

"You never gave me the chance," Edmund complained, "I was in Bridget's house, in Cambridgeshire. Did you know she was in Cambridgeshire, Eustace?"

"No, I didn't," Eustace said, "I could have paid her house a visit!"

"Her mother lived there. Bridget used to meet her every few months. Bridget said she had some errands to do in London, and she took me with her. And in London, she showed me our graves."

"Our graves?" Lucy asked.

"You heard me. That train, Peter, remember? It was taking the bend too fast. There was an accident. And all of us died in it."

"So … so we're all dead?" Jill asked, still coming to terms with the situation.

Edmund nodded.

"And mum and dad?" Peter asked. Edmund shook his head and looked at the ground again.

"What about mum and dad?" Lucy asked.

"They were on the train," Peter said, "Sorry I didn't tell you. I only heard that morning."

"They're dead too?"

"Yes," Edmund said, "They're dead too. And we're never going to see them again."

"You're only half right there," a voice called behind them. They turned around to see Bridget standing next to two middle-aged people, one a man and the other a woman.

"Mum!" Lucy and Peter shouted.

"Dad!" Edmund yelled at the same time. They ran up to them and embraced them. Bridget looked to Aslan, and he nodded. Then she started walking back into the crowd.

"Wait," someone called out to her. It was Edmund and he ran up to her so that they were facing each other. "I just wanted to say thanks."

That sentence seemed to sum everything up for Bridget. "You're welcome," she said, and smiled. Edmund ran his hands through her hair and brought his face to hers. They kissed for the first time.

Peter smiled. His father ruffled his hair. "Where's your woman?" he asked.

"I'm not sure I have one yet," he said, "But I'm working on it." He gestured in Fareen's direction.

"Both of them are so pretty," Mrs. Pevensie sighed. She sniffed a little, "It feels like only yesterday when both our sons were in their nappies, doesn't it, Michael?" she asked her husband, "And now they both have girlfriends. They grow up so fast."

"I'm grown up too," Lucy said. Her mother smiled.

"Of course you are," she said, "And you look just as beautiful as Susan."

"I wish she were here," Lucy said sadly.

"She'll be here," Bridget said, "When the time comes." Both Edmund and Bridget had caught up with the rest of them by now, and Edmund started to introduce her to his parents.

Rilian watched as Edmund and Bridget stood with Aslan, holding hands. He was happy that she had found love, just like he had.

The next day, there was large banquet. Those of the friends who weren't a King or Queen of Narnia were about to be coronated. One by one, Aslan announced their new titles.

"King Eustace, the Repented."

"Queen Jill, the Visceral."

"King Digory, the Wise."

"Queen Polly, the Jubilant."

"King Tirian, the Bold."

"Queen Fareen, the Radical."

"And Queen Bridget, the Vigilant."

A new age had dawned upon them. There was a new Narnia, bigger and better than it had been before, where everyone lived forever. There was no death, no sorrow, and no pain. And each chapter was better than the one before it.


	18. Reunion

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: _Reunion_

Susan sat in a small armchair and stared out the window into the garden. It was a typical London day, gloomy and wet, and there wasn't much to see other than the small puddles that were forming in the mud near the stairs to the porch. She decided that she had looked at the rain outside enough, and she adjusted herself in her chair so that she was facing to two people sitting in front of her. One was a girl in her mid-teens, her face caked with make-up and her hair so straight that it couldn't possibly have been natural, with a part of her fringe covering one of her eyes. She had a bored expression on her face, and she was leaning back in her chair with both her feet on the coffee table in front of her. She was tapping and waving her fingers on a gadget she called an 'iPhone'. Next to her sat an adolescent boy, and he too had an electronic trinket in his hands. It had two screens and several buttons which he was tapping furiously at, his tongue protruding slightly out of his mouth and his brow furrowed in deep concentration.

"What are you doing, Daniel?" she asked the boy.

"I'm playing Mario Kart," he replied, without so much as even looking at her.

"What's that?"

Daniel looked at Susan like she was an ape who understood nothing. "It's a game?" he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Susan decided not to question him further and looked at the girl.

"Push you hair out of your eyes, Samantha," she said.

"Grandma," the girl said, "I told you, it's Sam, not Samantha. Jeez, get it right." She made no move to push her hair out of her eyes. Susan sighed. So much for trying to make conversation.

"Susan!" someone called out in a bright, cheerful voice. It was a lady in a nurse's uniform, and she was peeping her head through the door. "Someone's here to see you!" She opened the door wide open and let in a young woman. She was of medium height and had deep brown eyes that were so dark, they were almost black. Her ebony hair was done so that it fell into perfect curls, kept away from her face by a thin headband, and she was wearing a short frock over tights, along with a woollen scarf and leather boots. Susan recognised her face almost instantly. She looked very different now, in modern clothes, but Susan knew she had seen her once before, a long, long time ago.

"Bridget?" Susan asked.

The woman smiled. "It's been a long time, Susan. You've grown."

"And you haven't." Susan rose from her armchair. "How have you been? I'm guessing you haven't died yet."

"Everything is fine, better than it's ever been before."

"And my siblings?"

"They're all there, waiting."

"So it's time?"

"Time for what?" Sam asked, getting out of her seat. She seemed to be interested in their conversation. "Who's she?"

"This is Bridget. She's an old friend of mine." Susan brought Sam forward, along with Daniel, who was also listening in. "Bridget, these are my grandchildren, Daniel and Samantha."

"It's Sam," Sam groaned.

"Pleased to meet you," Bridget said. She looked at them both. "You know, the two of you look a lot like two people I know."

"Really?" Daniel asked.

"How can you be an old friend of my grandma's?" Sam said sceptically, "You're barely older than we are."

"I'm a lot older than you think," Bridget said.

"It's a little complicated," Susan said, "Remember those stories I told you when you were younger? About how me and my siblings went to a magical winter wonderland and became the rulers of that world?"

"Oh yeah," Daniel said, "Some place called Blarnia."

"It was Narnia," Susan said, "And it's real."

"No way," Sam said, "That can't be right. You can't just go through a wardrobe and find a whole country on the other side of it."

"You can't any more," Bridget said, her eyes shining, "But you could once. And there are other ways of getting to Narnia. I was just about to take your grandmother there."

"So it is time?" Susan said.

"It is," Bridget confirmed.

"What, so you're just going to take my grandma to some place without anyone's permission?"

"She has my permission," Susan said.

"And how do we know this Blarnia place exists, anyway," Daniel said, "For all you know, you could be kidnapping her so that you can ask for a ransom."

"I can show you if you like," Bridget said.

"Alright, then," Daniel challenged, "Show us."

Bridget held her hand out to Susan, and Susan took it. Then she held her other hand out to Daniel, who was closest to her. Daniel took it, reluctantly.

"You're going to have to hold your brother's hand too," Bridget told Sam, "If you want to come along."

With a look of doubt on her face, Sam took her brother's hand.

"Now close your eyes," Bridget told them, "Unless you want to feel nauseous."

Everyone shut their eyes tight. They could feel the air around them change from the stale air of the inside of the retirement home to a pleasant breeze.

"You can open your eyes, now," Bridget said. Everyone opened their eyes to find themselves standing in an open field. The grass was greener than green and the sky was the bluest thing you would ever see. Susan looked down at her self, and found that she was once again young and beautiful, as opposed to the old, frail woman she had been less than a minute ago. She was wearing a gorgeous Narnian gown, the type that made you feel beautiful as well as look it. Bridget had changed too, not in age, but in costume. Susan had never seen her in traditional Narnian garb, and she looked much better than she did in anything else.

"Grandma?" Daniel asked, staring at Susan in awe. Susan smiled.

"Yes, it's me," Susan said happily, "I am young again."

"Now I know where I get my good looks from," Sam said.

"Yeah," Daniel said, "Your make-up."

Sam dug her elbow into Daniel's ribs, and he flinched.

"Peter!" Susan shouted, "Edmund! Lucy!" She ran up to three figures who were sitting on the grass a few yards in front of them. They stood up and the four of them came together in one big group hug. There were two men and one woman, and they looked delighted to see Susan.

"How have you been?" Lucy asked, her arms wrapped tightly around her older sister.

"I've been well," Susan said, "But nothing compares to Narnia."

"What's it like then?" Peter asked, "Growing up?"

"Oh, it's the best thing that could ever happen to you," Susan said, "But I am never going to do it again!"

The four siblings laughed with each and caught up with each other as much as they could.

"So," Daniel said, "This is Blarnia?"

"Narnia," Bridget laughed, "Yes, this is it."

"It's even more beautiful than I had imagined," Sam breathed. Then she looked around suddenly. "Did I say that out loud? I meant when I was little, when grandma was telling me the stories, you know."

"Don't worry," Bridget winked, "What happens in Narnia stays in Narnia."

"I see you have hitch-hikers," a man's voice said. He had dark hair, just like Susan's. Sam looked at him in wonder and whispered something in her brother's ear. Daniel's face broke into a wide grin.

"My sister thinks your hot," he told the man.

The man looked questioningly at Bridget. "Hot?" he asked.

"It's a slang term they use on Earth these days," Bridget explained, "I believe it means good-looking." She paused to see if he understood. Apparently, he didn't. "So if you think someone's hot, it means you find them attractive."

"Oh," the man nodded, taking it all in. He looked at Bridget. "I think you're hot."

"I know, Ed," Bridget rolled her eyes.

"Looks like he's taken, Sam," Daniel nudged his sister, "Shame."

"Shut up!" Sam whispered through gritted teeth.

"Do you know who this is?" Bridget asked, looking at Sam with raised eyebrows. "This is Edmund, your great-uncle."

"My great … you can't be serious?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Sam's in love with a seventy-something year old prick!" Daniel shouted in delight.

"Seventy-something," Edmund said, "Has it really been that long?"

"You'd be exactly eighty," Bridget told him, "If you were still alive."

Edmund nodded. He didn't want to elaborate on the subject any more than he needed to.

"What are they going to do?" Susan asked, coming up behind them, along with the two others she was with (who were, of course, Lucy and Peter). "They can't just stay here, can they? They have to go home."

"They do," Bridget agreed.

"Could we check out the place first?" Sam pleaded.

"Yeah, could we take a look around?" Daniel agreed.

Bridget sighed. "Fine," she said, "But we can't be very long. You have to go home."

Bridget and he Pevensies took Sam and Daniel on a quick tour around Cair Paravel, introducing them to everyone they met. It was all over in half an hour.

"Now, it's time to leave," Bridget said.

"But how are we going to explain how you and grandma are missing?" Sam asked.

"I would have left two minutes ago," Bridget smiled, "And Susan won't be missing. When you get back, you'll find her collapsed on the ground, and you'll run out to find someone to help. Understood?"

Sam and Daniel nodded. They didn't really understand how it worked, but they decided that it was best to leave it at that.

"You see that tree over there?" Bridget pointed at a large tree behind them. "With the small archway in the middle?"

Sam and Daniel looked at where Bridget was pointing. The tree in question looked like a sort of doorway.

"All you have to do is walk through it," Bridget said, "And then you're home."

"That's all?" Daniel asked.

Bridget nodded.

"Maybe we'll see you again, someday," Peter said.

"I never thought I'd meet Susan's grandchildren," Lucy said, "Not after I came to Narnia."

"I never thought Susan would have grandchildren," Edmund said, "I mean, who would marry her?"

"Ed!" Lucy and Bridget said together. Peter snickered.

"You never did change, did you?" Susan asked.

"Moving on," Bridget said, pushing Sam and Daniel towards the archway.

"Bye, Daniel," Susan called, "Bye, Samantha!"

"It's Sam!" Sam yelled, before being pulled though the archway by her brother.

The old people's home felt dull and unbearable compared to Narnia. The sky outside was dimmer and everything was soggy and wet.

Just as Bridget said, they found their grandmother (or someone looking like their grandmother) lying on the ground. Sam checked her pulse and found none, and they both ran outside to find the nearest volunteer. They found one, and she ran back with them. She gasped at the sight of Susan's body, grabbed an old-looking phone off the wall and jabbed at a few buttons. In a few seconds, more nurses came running, armed with a stretcher and a large first-aid kit. They lifted her onto the stretcher and carried her away, telling Sam and Daniel to stay inside the room and not leave, and that everything would be okay.

Sam and Daniel weren't too worried about their grandma. They knew she was in a better place.

That wasn't the only time either of them visited Narnia. They were to visit their grandma and her family for many years to come, and when the time came they, too, would live along with them in that magical country. But that's another story. This story, about the last battle ever fought in Narnia, has finally come to an end.


	19. Acknowledgements

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wasn't sure if I was even going to put any acknowledgements at the end of this story. But then I like reading the acknowledgements at the end of books, and my friends told me it would be a good idea, so here I am. I guess it's more of an 'Author's Note', but whatever.

The idea of Bridget came to me a few weeks after I watched Prince Caspian. I'm a romantic, though I hate to admit it, and Edmund was my favourite character (let's face it, Skandar Keynes is HAWT). Bridget was my imaginary love interest for Edmund. At that point, the only two Narnia books I had read were The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Prince Caspian, so I didn't really know much about what happened in the other books. In my mind, 'Narnia 3' was a sort of mix between LWW and PC, where Caspian goes missing because he can't handle the pressure of being King, or something along those lines, and Bridget is the daughter of some enemy trying to invade Narnia. The idea is kind of stupid, I know, but I was only 13 then, and I came up with stupid ideas. You might notice that I kind of used that initial idea to make Fareen, though I hope she didn't end up that corny.

Anyway, Bridget's character changed and kept changing until she became what she is now. And I must say, I quite like what I've come up with. A timid, people-averse girl who grew up in England but was meant for Narnia, and then, thanks to the help of her little guardian angels (aka Eustace and Jill) became someone almost entirely different. She's more likeable than what she used to be, and she finds it a lot easier to interact with people.

If you're wondering about how Jill and Eustace changed her, I might start writing a 'The Silver Chair: Retold' some time in the future. I'm not sure if I should. This whole fanfic writing thing is taking up a lot of my free-time. I like writing, but it gets really tiresome if you have nothing to write. But I will write it, I guess if someone really wants it. Maybe not any time soon, most probably after I finish school (which is in two years time, by the way), but I will do it. But that's only if someone requests it. Yeah, that's what I'll do. Yeah.

The reason I decided to 'retell' The Last Battle is because I didn't really like the book. I didn't really like any of the books, to be honest, except maybe LWW. The books were really racist towards Calormenes and I didn't like how they just completely forgot about Susan at the end. It's not her fault she wants to look good. Sure, she may deny Narnia's existence and all, but I'm sure Aslan would forgive her, were he actually alive (who knows). And I heard Narnia is based on Christian values. Didn't God tell people to forgive? Correct me on this if I'm wrong. I wouldn't know for sure, since I'm not Christian. And also, everyone is equal under the eyes of God (apparently). So that would contradict the racism towards the Calormenes, wouldn't it? Oh well. Let's just say that I do NOT like the books. It's the movies that really got me interested.

Please note that this is my first fanfic. I don't normally read fanfics either, so I don't know how they work, and I don't know any of the terms that fanfic authors use. So if you use a fanfic term while reviewing this story, just keep in mind that I most probably will NOT understand. It's kind of like Edmund and 'hot'. Or Edmund and snow. Or Edmund and winter. Or Peter and Caspian. You get the picture.

If you find there is something missing in this story, let me know. I will give the suggestion considerable thought (as much as I can, anyway, since I'm going to be very VERY busy until I finish school), and if I like it, I'll do it. I don't really expect a lot of reviews, but if you read this, and like it, review it, and then let your friends know. I've decided that I like reviews, especially the nice ones.

Since this is the 'Acknowledgements' chapter, I might at well thank some people while I'm at it. I would like to thank C. S. Lewis, first of all. I don't like your books, but the plot is AMAZING. Plus, I needed to have the LB book with me so I could rewrite it, hehe. I would also like to thank Walden Media for making the movies and getting me into Narnia in the first place. Skandar Keynes, just for existing. You ARE Edmund, full stop. And Prince Caspian, for delivering the legendary lines "I am Prince CAH-spi-uhn". It has nothing to do with this story, but that doesn't stop it from being legen – WAAIIT FOOOR ITT! - dary. My drama group, for doing the play on LWW. This doesn't mean I forgive you for casting me as Mrs. Tumnus, though. My friends, Cathy and Tiff, for putting up with my fanfic and reading it even though it made no sense to you (they haven't read the Narnia books, just seen the movies). Especially Cathy, because unlike Tiff, she actually read through the whole thing, and didn't just skim through it. Still, I'm happy that you skimmed through it at least. I love you guys, and you know it. Shout out to NarniaWeb, Wikipedia, and the Narnia wiki for providing me with sufficient (yes, I just used the word 'sufficient') research for this story. And Harry Gregson-Williams, your soundtrack is the BEST! I listened to 'Arrival at Aslan's How' over and over again when I had writer's block, because it made me feel like I was in Narnia, and it got me in 'the mood'. Every time I listen to any song in the Narnia soundtracks, it makes me cry. Don't ask me why. To my school library, who put up with my six weeks overdue books, all of which were overdue because they were either LB or books that I never had time to read because of LB. And lastly (but not least. Oh, HELL no), Bek, who I commissioned to draw a picture of Bridget. Knowing her, she probably won't start it until next year, but I will keep nagging her till she gets it done (you hear that, Bek?). I'll put up a link to the picture when it's done. Sometime in the near future (Bek?).

Okay, this acknowledgements thing ended up being a lot longer than I thought. But I hope you liked it, and I'm glad you read it. If you're reading this right now, I admire your persistence. If you aren't, I don't blame you. I tried to make it interesting like Eoin Colfer does with his, but obviously, it hasn't exactly worked out. Oh well.

Oh yeah, I forgot to thank you, the reader. Thanks. :D

That's it from me (yeah, I know what you're thinking. "Thank GOD!"). I might update this story (and these acknowledgements) in time to come, but it's good-bye from me, for now.

Cheers,

ninja-curry-girl

PS With two days left for the Australian release of VDT, I decided to actually read this story for the first time, since I never actually re-read it while I was writing it. I know, weird, right? But anyway, after re-reading it, I realised how many spelling and grammar mistakes I had! And I am so ashamed of myself because I am a grammar freak, and I absolutely cannot STAND bad grammar, and here I am writing bad grammar myself. I am such a hypocrite! Anyway, I've updated the whole story so that both the grammar and spelling is right, and I've also made a few changes due to some reasonable suggestions made in the reviews. So, as of the 30th of November, 2010 (same day as the VDT premiere!), this story has been updated for the first time.

PPS I've just seen the pictures of the VDT premiere! And Skandar's collar is done wrong! I find that really funny! But at least he's not wearing that stupid jumper he always tends to wear during the colder months of the year. And he still looks good, no matter how wonky his bow-tie is. I've always said that men look best in a suit. And William Moseley looks so weird! His hair is so unflattering! Georgie Henley looks amazing in her gown. And the Queen looks really grumpy. Probably didn't get her afternoon nap. Anyway, the point of this update (which I've written exactly one day after the last update) is not to rant about the guests of the VDT premiere, but because I wanted to say that I've decided not to bother waiting for requests for re-writing SC. I know they're probably never going to come, and I have this strange urge to do it anyway, so I might as well start before I lose the ideas I have in my head. So I'm currently reading SC. Or trying to, at any rate. This was one of those books where I skipped a lot of chapters in a middle because I found it too boring to keep reading, and there was no Edmund Pevensie in it, so I knew I could afford to miss chapters. And no, I am not a crazy fan-girl who is fully obsessed with Edmund/Skandar Keynes. Edmund just happens to be the most awesome character in the series, and Skandar happens to be the hottest member of the cast. And that is all. I do NOT think I'm going to marry Skandar when I grow up (although I wouldn't mind it if I got the chance), and I do NOT think I will ever, EVER meet him, unless he happens to be at an autograph signing somewhere nearby. Or maybe I'll see him on the set of HHB or LB. Who knows? I will admit, I am in love with Edmund, but NOT Skandar. I don't even know Skandar, although he seems like a pretty nice guy. Just trying to make that clear (thanks to a certain misconception my friends managed to concoct after reading this). Anyway, yeah, I am going to re-write SC. With Bridget in it. Hope you guys like that one. :D

PPPS I just had to add another post script thingo. I am suffering from major, MAJOR writer's block, plus I've been sort of banned from borrowing Narnia books from the library. It won't last forever, but for now, no Silver Chair writing. So until then, more editing and updating of this one (as of 02/04/2011, six days until my 16th birthday!). There's so much crap I need to add and get rid of, I swear. This is tiring. Anyway, I updated my acknowledgements just to tell you this. And I would also like to complain about two things: firstly, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader DVD, and secondly, the next Narnia movie. Okay, firstly, the DVD has no bloopers? Are you kidding me? You can't be serious, right? And also, the audio commentary does not include the cast members, which sucks, because the cast commentary is so amusing. It just has the producer, Mark somebody, and the director, Michael Apted. And of course, they're going to talk about boring stuff, and about how Disney was a bitch to them, blah blah blah. Secondly, the new Narnia film is going to be The Magician's Nephew. Why is this? Wouldn't the logical option be to do The Silver Chair and use Will Poulter while he's still young? Because I will not accept anyone other than Will Poulter as Eustace. He is like the rest of the cast: perfect. And gorgeous. I was also looking forward to seeing who they would cast as Jill. But I guess I'm going to have to wait. Great. So yeah. That's the end of it. I think. I hope. I will shut up now.


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